China's State Council Publishes Full Text of Regulation on the Protection of New Plant Varieties (2025 Revision)
Date: 1 May 2025
The Regulation (2025) came into effect on 1 June 2025. The main revisions are as follows:
1. Details and Expands Rights Conferred by Variety Rights
- Expanded scope of protection: extended from propagating material to harvested material;
- Broader coverage of acts: from production, propagation, and sale to processing for propagation, offering for sale, import, export, and storage;
- Extended efficacy of variety rights: varieties falling into the following three categories are now included within the protection scope—essentially derived varieties (EDVs) from the granted variety, varieties not clearly distinguishable from the granted variety, and varieties repetitively using the granted variety for production or propagation for commercial purposes.
2. Makes clear that China will implement the EDV system in phases. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration will determine the specific implementation scope in catalog format, subject to approval and promulgation by the State Council.
3. Extends Protection Term. The protection period for variety rights of woody and vine plants is extended from 20 years to 25 years, and for other plants, from 15 years to 20 years.
4. Reinforces Regulation on Foreign Applications and Transfers. Responsibility for approval and registration of foreign applications or transfers of variety rights is unified under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. Added provisions state that propagating materials taken abroad must comply with the Seed Law provisions on genetic resource export.
5. Increases Penalties for Infringement, in line with the Seed Law. The upper limit of administrative fines by agriculture and forestry authorities at or above the county level is raised from 5 times to 10 times the value of the infringing goods. These authorities are newly authorized to enter business premises for on-site inspections, seal illegal premises, and seize infringing propagating materials and equipment.
6. Incorporates Legitimate Source Defense Provision, in Line with Judicial Interpretation. No compensation is required where the alleged infringer proves it was unaware that the propagating or harvested materials were infringing and can demonstrate a legitimate source.
Source: China's State Council
https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/202505/content_7022127.htm
国务院公布新修订的《植物新品种保护条例（2025）》全文
日期：2025年5月1日
《条例》自2025年6月1日起施行，全文共8章49条，修订主要内容如下：
1. 扩大品种权权力内容及品种权的保护范围和保护环节
2. 明确国家分步实施实质性派生品种制度，农业农村部和国家林草局以目录形式确定具体实施范围，报国务院批准后公布施行。
3. 延长品种权的保护期限：将木本、藤本植物的品种权保护期限由20年延长到25年，其他植物由15年延长到20年。
4. 强化向境外申请品种权管理：将向境外申请/转让品种权的登记/批准部门统一调整为国务院农业农村、林业草原主管部门；要求向境外提供繁殖材料应遵守种子法关于向境外提供种质资源的规定。
5. 与《种子法》同步，提高对侵权行为的处罚力度：县级以上农业农村、林业草原部门可作出的侵权罚款上限从货值的5倍提至10倍；新赋予以上部门进入生产经营场进行现场检查、查封违法场所和扣押侵权繁殖材料及作案工具、设备的行政强制权。
6. 与司法解释同步，增加侵权人合法来源抗辩条款：明确如果侵权人不知道是侵犯品种权的繁殖材料、收获材料，且能够证明有合法来源的，不承担赔偿责任。
资料来源：中国政府网
新闻链接：https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/202505/content_7022127.htm
NCAC and Three Other Ministerial Departments Jointly Launch the ‘Sword Net 2025’ Campaign, Targeting Six Key Areas Including Copyright Infringement of Audiovisual Works, Animation, and Gaming
Date: 16 May 2025
The National Copyright Administration (NCAC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Cyberspace Administration of China have jointly launched the ‘Sword Net 2025’ Special Campaign—marking the 21st nationwide campaign against online copyright infringement and piracy since its inception in 2005.
The campaign will run from May to November 2025, focusing on the following six key areas:
1. Audiovisual Works. Strengthening copyright protection for films, TV dramas, online series, micro-dramas, and short-form videos; cracking down on unauthorized copying, distribution, and sale of audiovisual content; and enhancing governance over websites and platforms that facilitate infringement.
2. Animation and Gaming. Efforts will be directed at suppressing the unauthorized replication and distribution of animated works, the production and sale of infringing animated intellectual property derivatives, and actions that infringe upon game copyrights, such as the operation of private servers and the distribution of ‘plugins’ (cheats/hacks).
3. Computer Software. Cracking down on illegal profits made through false or overextended software licensing, and promoting the use of licensed software.
4. Online Storage and Distribution. Targeting direct infringement by platforms, facilitation of infringement, and incitement of users to infringe copyrights; strengthening copyright oversight of business models involving browsers, search engines, and cloud storage.
5. Online Sales. Combating the online sale of pirated products and links to infringing content; addressing emerging infringement models involving youth protection and covert distribution channels; and regulating copyright practices on e-commerce, livestreaming, and short-form videos on video platforms.
6. Smart Streaming Terminals. Targeting the illegal circumvention of technological protection measures by means of smart terminals that access legitimate apps and provide copyrighted works, and also directly provide infringing pirated resources or links. Reinforcing copyright supervision of interactive internet TVs, smart TV set-top boxes, wearable smart devices, and other streaming hardware and software, to generally purify the market environment.
Source: NCAC, Xinhua News Agency
https://www.ncac.gov.cn/xxfb/ywxx/202505/t20250516_895376.html
https://app.xinhuanet.com/news/article.html?articleId=39aaa4c0287260f0a9430042fb9d2ec0
国家版权局等四部门联合启动“剑网2025”专项行动，涵盖视听作品版权整治、动漫及游戏领域版权整治等六大重点领域
日期：2025年5月16日
国家版权局、工业和信息化部、公安部、国家互联网信息办公室联合启动“剑网2025”专项行动，是自2005年来在全国范围内持续开展的第21次打击网络侵权盗版专项行动。专项行动从2025年5月持续至11月，将重点整治以下六大重点领域的版权问题：
1. 视听作品领域：加强对电影、电视剧、网络剧、微短剧、短视频的版权保护，重点打击非法搬运、传播、售卖视听作品的侵权行为，加强对网站平台帮助侵权治理。
2. 动漫及游戏领域：打击非法复制传播动漫作品、生产销售侵权盗版动漫IP衍生品以及实施侵害游戏版权的私服、“外挂”等行为。
3. 计算机软件领域：打击通过虚假授权、超范围授权销售侵权盗版软件非法牟利行为，推进软件正版化工作。
4. 网络存储+传播领域：打击平台直接侵权、帮助侵权及教唆用户侵权等行为，强化浏览器+搜索引擎+网盘商业模式的版权监管。
5. 网络销售领域：打击网络销售侵权盗版制品及资源链接，关注涉及青少年权益和隐蔽渠道分销的新型侵权模式，规范电商、直播、短视频等平台的网络销售版权秩序。
6. 流媒体智能终端领域：打击智能终端破坏技术措施非法接入正版APP提供作品资源、直接提供侵权盗版资源或链接的行为；强化对交互式网络电视、佩戴式智能终端等硬件的版权监管。
来源：国家版权局、新华社
https://www.ncac.gov.cn/xxfb/ywxx/202505/t20250516_895376.html
https://app.xinhuanet.com/news/article.html?articleId=39aaa4c0287260f0a9430042fb9d2ec0
IPC of the SPC takes Defendants’ Conduct into Account in Determining ‘Reasonable Expenses’
Date: 8 May 2025
According to the latest publicly released judicial opinion from the Intellectual Property Court of the Supreme People's Court, dishonest conduct of the alleged infringer during litigation—such as making false statements—may be taken into consideration by the court when determining the reasonable expenses incurred by the rights holder in defending its rights.
The case concerns the alleged infringement of an invention patent for cellulase preparation. The Plaintiff, a foreign company, claimed RMB 18.5 million (Approx. US$ 2.58 million) in economic loss and RMB 1.5 million (Approx. US$ 208,867) in reasonable expenses. The first-instance court ruled that reasonable expenses should be RMB 1 million (Approx. US$ 139,245). Dissatisfied with this ruling, the foreign company appealed to the Supreme People's Court (‘SPC’). The appeal was upheld.
Regarding ‘reasonable expenses’ for rights enforcement, the SPC held that the case involved a substantial volume of evidence and complex facts. The infringing acts exhibited both a high degree of technical complexity and a degree of concealment on the part of the Defendant necessitating higher attorney fees than in regular cases. Furthermore, two of the Defendants made multiple inconsistent statements during the litigation, some of which constituted false representations. This objectively increased the workload of the Plaintiff's legal representatives throughout the proceedings. The SPC, therefore, concluded that the attorney fees claimed by the foreign company in this case were within a reasonable scope.
Source: IPC of the SPC
https://ipc.court.gov.cn/zh-cn/news/view-4260.html
最高法知产庭：法院酌定维权合理开支时可将侵权人不诚信诉讼行为纳入考量
日期：2025年5月8日
根据最高法知识产权法庭最新公开的裁判要旨，被诉侵权人在诉讼过程中有虚假陈述等不诚信行为的，可以作为人民法院确定权利人维权合理开支数额时的考量因素。
该案为一起纤维素酶配制品相关发明专利侵权案，原告为一外国公司，主张经济损失1850万元及合理开支150万元。一审法院在判决中认定本案的合理开支应为100万元，该外国公司不服一审判决，向最高法提出上诉。最高法在二审中全额支持了原告的诉讼请求。
关于维权合理支出，最高法认为，案件证据较多、事实较为复杂，侵权行为有一定的隐蔽性，并有较强的专业性，相对于一般案件需要支出更高的律师费。某生物公司、某药业公司在诉讼过程中多次作出不一致的陈述，其中部分属于虚假陈述，客观上增加了外国某公司的诉讼代理人在诉讼中的工作量。因此，外国某公司在本案中主张的律师费金额在合理范围内。
资料来源：最高法知产庭
新闻链接：https://ipc.court.gov.cn/zh-cn/news/view-4260.html
Guangdong High People's Court Concludes Trademark and Trade Dress Infringement Case Involving ‘Alienergy’, Defendant is Ordered to Pay RMB 5.04 Million (Approx. US$ 701,793) in Compensation
Date: 14 May 2025
In October 2020, the Plaintiff, Yuan Co., Ltd. (Yuan Company’), launched its ‘Alienergy Electrolyte Water’ product series, successfully registering the trademark ‘Alienergy’ and applying for design patents. Beginning in 2023, the Defendants, Guangzhou Wei Company and Jiangsu Wei Company, jointly commissioned Jin Company to produce ‘Encounter Alienergy Electrolyte Water.’ They subsequently sold these products through channels such as WeChat Moments and industry exhibitions. In July 2023, Yuan Company initiated legal proceedings against five defendants, including the three said Companies, before the Guangzhou Intellectual Property Court.
The Guangzhou Intellectual Property Court determined that the ‘Encounter Alienergy’ mark was confusingly similar to the Plaintiff’s registered ‘Alienergy’ trademark in terms of verbal pronunciation, constituent elements, and overall appearance. The Court found that the five Defendants, as competitors of Yuan Company in the same industry, ought to have been aware of the ‘Alienergy’ brand's reputation and influence. Their use of the infringing mark on similar goods indicated a subjective intent to free-ride on Yuan Company's goodwill. Objectively, this was likely to cause public confusion, thereby constituting an infringement of the exclusive right to Yuan Company's registered trademark.
Concurrently, the Guangzhou Intellectual Property Court found that the overall design, text, colors, and patterns of the packaging and decoration of both products were highly similar. Only minor differences existed in certain detailed elements and textual content, resulting in an overall visual effect that was likely to cause confusion or misidentification. The Defendants' unauthorized use of similar packaging and decoration constituted unfair competition.
Ultimately, the Guangzhou Intellectual Property Court applied the statutory maximum compensation, ordering the Defendants to pay Yuan Company a total of RMB 5.04 million (approx. US$ 701,793) for economic loss and reasonable rights enforcement expenses. Subsequently, the five Defendants appealed the decision, but the Guangdong High People's Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the original judgment.
The image on the left displays the Plaintiff's product, while the image on the right shows the infringing product manufactured and sold by the Defendants
Image Source: Guangzhou Intellectual Property Court
Source: Guangzhou Intellectual Property Court
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/u6vYlZm264JEsMMEIgENwA
广东高院审结涉“外星人电解质水”商标及包装装潢侵权案，被告被判赔504万元
日期：2025年5月14日
原告元某公司于2020年10月推出“外星人电解质水”系列产品，并完成商标注册和外观设计专利申请。2023年起，被告广州唯某公司、江苏唯某公司联合委托金某公司生产“遇见外星人电解质水”，并通过微信朋友圈、行业展会等渠道对外销售。2023年7月，元某公司将广州唯某公司、江苏唯某公司及金某公司等五被告诉至广州知识产权法院。
广州知识产权法院认为，“遇见外星人”标识与“外星人”注册商标在文字呼叫、元素组成及整体外观上均相近似。五被告作为元某公司同行业竞争者，理应知悉“外星人”品牌的知名度和影响力，仍将被诉侵权标识使用在同类商品上，主观上具有攀附元某公司商誉的故意，客观上容易导致公众产生混淆，构成对“外星人”注册商标专用权的侵害。
同时，二者包装装潢的整体造型、文字、色彩、图案等元素均高度近似，仅在部分元素细节、文字内容等处存在细微差异，整体视觉效果高度相似，容易造成混淆误认。因此，被告擅自使用相近似包装装潢的行为构成不正当竞争。最终，广州知识产权法院适用法定最高赔偿额，判令被告赔偿元某公司经济损失及合理维权费用共504万元。后五被告不服提起上诉，广东高院二审驳回上诉，维持原判。
左图为原告“外星人电解质水”产品，右图为被告生产销售的侵权产品
图片来源：广州知识产权法院
资料来源：广州知识产权法院