Patent
From Faces to Football Fields: How Applying AI Models to Different Application Fields Can Prove Inventive in China
21 October 2025As AI models become versatile and adaptable across multiple contexts and industries, questions about inventive step sit at the heart of patent examination in China. The 2023 Patent Examination Guidelines (hereinafter referred to as 'the Guidelines') included several sessions dedicated to explaining how inventive step should be examined for AI-related inventions, featuring examples related to […]
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When Standards Evolve: How China Judges Inventiveness in Next-Gen Tech Patents
30 September 2025Starting in 2023, Datang Mobile, one of the key players in China’s telecom standardization efforts, initiated infringement proceedings against Samsung in China, Germany, and the US. Samsung responded by filing multiple invalidation petitions in several jurisdictions, including China, the United States, and Europe. The case discussed below is one of above-mentioned invalidation cases in China, […]
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Obviousness: can features from different categories of products be combined to invalidate a design patent?
18 September 2025Introduction “I have a tank, I have a gun—boom! Tank gun?” Each year the CNIPA releases a list of Top Ten Patent Re-examination and Invalidation Cases. These cases are meant to be guiding cases, showcasing exemplary real-world decisions that clarify certain aspects of the law. Over the next several months we will be highlighting many […]
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How to Protect a Crystal Form (Polymorph) Patent in China
4 June 2025Crystalline forms are critical to pharmaceutical patents, offering extended protection for improved stability, bioavailability, or manufacturability. However, securing such patents in China has grown increasingly difficult due to the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA)’s strict patentability criteria. Unlike the U.S. or Europe, where structural novelty or problem-solving utility may suffice, China demands quantifiable evidence of […]
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Why Do Examiners Fail to Recognize the Importance of my “Parameter Features”?
28 May 2025The Impact of Parameter Features on Inventiveness ”Parameter features” – numerical or mathematical expressions that define the quantity or physical properties of a subject – frequently appear as technical features within a claim. Often described as numerical ranges or measurements, they frequently play a critical role in addressing technical problems. However, in practice, Examiners and […]
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Can I transfer priority rights in China without the consent of other applicants? Insights from the Broad Institute’s CRISPR patent
4 February 2025The high-profile disputes surrounding an important CRISPR patent belonging to The Broad Institute, MIT and Harvard (hereinafter “the proprietors”) has attracted a lot of attention in recent years, particularly regarding the validity of priority rights that were challenged worldwide. In Europe, the patent was famously revoked by the European Patent Office (hereinafter “EPO”) due to […]
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AI is magical but NOT magic! Be specific in your AI patents!
9 January 2025What is the standard of sufficient disclosure for AI-related patents: A case study in China The rapid growth of AI patent applications present significant challenges to existing patent application and examination practices. One of them is satisfying the requirement for sufficient disclosure. The following case was featured in the 2023 CNIPA Compilation of Key Decisions […]
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How a Secondhand Ground Brush Wiped Away a Chinese Patent
4 December 2024A Chinese robot vacuum company digs up “hidden evidence” to successfully invalidate a patent owned by its biggest competitor. Highlights Background With the growth of online shopping, it is easier than ever to provide evidence of a sale when the product is still being sold on the market. But what if the product is no […]
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