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Course Details

This CLE course will offer guidance to counsel for companies operating in the Chinese market on asserting patents and avoiding and defending patent infringement litigation. The panel will also outline best practices for counsel involved in infringement disputes in China.

Faculty

Description

There has been a significant increase in patent applications filed in China over the last few years. The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) in 2018 received approximately 1.5 million invention patent applications. As the applications have grown, so has the patent litigation in China.

At the beginning of 2019, Supreme People’s Court of China opened its specialized Intellectual Property Tribunal. This tribunal handles all appeals related to patents except design patents. With the changes in the Chinese court system since 2014, now most patent infringement cases are heard by specialized intellectual property courts or tribunals throughout the country.

There are many differences between how patent infringement litigation is conducted in China and the U.S. For example, there is no discovery procedure in China. Also, Chinese courts handle claim construction at trial, and Chinese civil courts cannot invalidate a patent. Further, as the Chinese patent damages system develops, it is becoming more pro-plaintiff and more appealing as a forum for U.S. patent owners.

Listen as our authoritative panel of IP attorneys offers their insights and perspectives on patent litigation in China. The panel will review patent litigation in China, discussing how to navigate the differences between the Chinese and U.S. litigation systems. The panel will also offer best practices for minimizing the likelihood of litigation and if litigation is threatened.

Outline

  1. Patent trial system in China
  2. Patent litigation in China
    1. Evidence gathering (not discovery as in the U.S.)
    2. Invalidity proceedings
    3. Counterclaims
    4. Damages
    5. Settlement
  3. Best practices
    1. Steps to avoid litigation
    2. When litigation is threatened

Benefits

The panel will review these and other key issues:

  • The new patent trial system in China
  • What steps can be taken to avoid patent infringement claims in China?
  • What are the significant differences between litigation in the Chinese IP courts and the U.S. court?
  • What are the best practices for patent suits in the Chinese courts?