The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) will be closed from April 5, 2019 to April 7, 2019 for the Qingming festival. All official deadlines falling on the above dates will be automatically extended to April 8, 2019.

The Qingming festival, also known as the Tomb-Sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese festival observed by the Chinese for over 2500 years. It became a public holiday in mainland China in 2008. During Qingming, Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites, pray to their ancestors, and make ritual offerings. Offerings would typically include traditional food dishes, and the burning of joss sticks and joss paper. The holiday recognizes the traditional reverence of one’s ancestors in Chinese culture.

The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) will be closed from February 4, 2019 to February 10, 2019 for the Chinese New Year holiday. All official deadlines falling on the above dates will automatically be extended to February 11, 2019. Accordingly, please instruct your Chinese counsel in advance to ensure timely handling of matters due during this period.

Chinese New Year is a Chinese festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese calendar (Lunar calendar). The festival is usually referred to as the Spring Festival. The festival was traditionally a time to honor deities as well as ancestors. The evening preceding Chinese New Year’s Day, called Chuxi (除夕), is frequently regarded as an occasion for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner. It is also traditional for every family to thoroughly clean their house, in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to make way for incoming good luck. Another custom is the decoration of windows and doors with red paper-cuts and couplets. Popular themes among these paper-cuts and couplets include that of good fortune or happiness, wealth, and longevity. Other activities include lighting firecrackers and giving money in red paper envelopes.

The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) will be closed from December 30, 2018 to January 1, 2019 for the New Year holiday. All official deadlines falling on the above dates will be automatically extended to January 2, 2019. Please note that Christmas is not an official holiday in China and the deadlines of CN matters that fall on December 25, 2018 will not be postponed to December 26, 2018. Accordingly, please instruct your Chinese counsel in advance for matters due during this period to ensure timely handling.

A New Year brings new grace for new accomplishments. Wish you all a prosperous New Year.

China IP Blog New Year

Michael Mangelson has been IP Attaché at the US consulate in Shanghai since 2014. In this interview, we talk with Michael about what is the US IP attaché program and specifically his role in China.

Aaron Wininger: First off, what is the US IP Attaché program?

Michael: The United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) Intellectual Property (IP) Attaché Program works to improve IP systems internationally. The attachés advocate to improve IP policies, laws, and regulations abroad, which benefits the host country as well as U.S. businesses and stakeholders.

Aaron: How about more specifically in China?

Michael:  I work closely with U.S. companies on IPR protection and enforcement issues and coordinate with U.S. government agencies and China counterparts to resolve IP concerns, promote U.S. IP policy in China, and encourage effective IP protection and enforcement in China. This includes assisting U.S. businesses on IPR issues in China, advising officials at all levels of the U.S. government on China’s IP system, conducting training activities and advising the Chinese government on U.S. IP law and policy, and helping to secure high IPR standards in trade agreements and China’s laws and monitoring implementation of these provisions.

Continue Reading Interview with US Shanghai Consulate IP Attaché Michael Mangelson

Last year, the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), (now, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA)), announced Administrative Measures for Prioritized Examination[1] (“the Measures”), which took effect as of August 1, 2017.  At the anniversary of the measures, we explain how domestic and foreign applicants can use the measures to expedite examination of their patent applications. Continue Reading Expedited Patent Examination in China Without the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)

China promulgated an electronic commerce law on August 31, 2018, effective, January 1, 2019.  Of interest to intellectual property rights (IPR) holders, the law makes e-commerce platform operators potentially jointly and severally liable with IP infringers and enables the relevant administrative department (e.g., the China National Intellectual Property Agency (CNIPA)) to fine platform operators up to 2 million RMB (~$291,000) for failure to protect IPR. The law also formalizes a mechanism for IPR disputes on e-commerce platforms. Continue Reading China Promulgates Electronic Commerce Law

 

The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) will be closed from October 1, 2018 to October 7, 2018 for the Chinese National Day holiday. All official deadlines falling on the above dates will be automatically extended to October 8, 2018.  Accordingly, please provide your Chinese counsel with instructions for actions due as soon as possible to avoid a rush immediately after the holiday. Continue Reading Upcoming CNIPA Holiday Closure – Chinese National Day

The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) will be closed from September 22, 2018 to September 24, 2018 for the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. All official deadlines falling on the above holiday will be automatically extended to September 25, 2018.  Continue Reading Upcoming CNIPA Holiday Closure – Mid-Autumn Festival

As of September 1, 2018, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA – the new name for the combined China Patent & Trademark Office) will no longer automatically retrieve electronic priority documents from the USPTO via the PDX system.  Instead, CNIPA will retrieve priority documents via WIPO DAS, which will require providing the DAS access code.  The access code is the 4-digit confirmation number listed on USPTO filing receipts and used in the USPTO Electronic Filing System (EFS) and does not need to be requested independently from WIPO. Continue Reading CNIPA Switches to WIPO DAS from PDX for Electronic Retrieval of USPTO Priority Documents

In light of China’s merging of Patent and Trademark Offices, China has renamed the State Intellectual Property Office to the National Intellectual Property Administration (中国国家知识产权局). Both English and Chinese websites now show the new name as of August 29, 2018.  Click here for more information about the restructuring.