Monday, December 2, 2024

News & Cases From China: September 2024

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国务院发布《网络数据安全管理条例》

日期:2024年9月30日


930
日,
国务院发布《网络数据安全管理条例》(”《管理条例》”),将网络数据的范围明确定义在了”通过网络”开展的数据处理活动,在明确了数据风险补救、数据安全事件上报、数据安全管理、人工智能数据安全管理、国家安全审查等基本要求外,还针对个人信息处理、重要数据处理、数据出境和网络平台服务提供者等特殊情形提出了更高的合规要求。其中值得注意的内容包括:


  • 自动化采集技术的合规义务:不得非法入侵他人网络,不得干扰网络服务正常运行,处理非必要个人信息时应遵循删除及匿名化处理要求。


  • 大规模个人信息或将被认定为重要数据:处理1000万人以上个人信息的网络数据处理者将需遵守部分重要数据处理者合规义务。


  • 新增个人信息出境豁免情形:与此前立法不同的是,《管理条例》通过行政法规形式,将常规数据出境豁免场景表述为”个人信息出境机制”,同时新增了”为履行法定职责或者法定义务,确需向境外提供个人信息”的情形。


  • 网络平台服务提供者的特殊义务:包括对平台上第三方产品和服务数据安全保护的监管义务,平台、第三方产品服务提供者、预装应用程序的智能终端等对用户损害的责任分配等。此外,注册用户5000万以上或者月活跃用户1000万以上、业务类型复杂、对国家安全、经济运行、国计民生等具有重要影响的网络平台构成”大型网络平台服务提供者”,应当履行更高的个人信息与消费者保护义务,如不得对用户实施不合理的差别待遇。


  • 细化罚则:《管理条例》对未履行数据处理合规义务、国家安全审查义务、重要数据处理义务等不同违法情形明确了不同的处罚细则,其中处罚力度最大的是不履行国家安全审查义务,拒不改正或情节严重时,最高可处1000万元罚款。

来源:国务院

https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/202409/content_6977766.htm

The State Council Introduces Regulations on Network Data
Security Management

Date: 30 September, 2024

On 30 September, the State Council introduced Regulations on
Network Data Security Management (‘Management
Regulations’), which explicitly define the scope of network
data as data processing activities conducted ‘via the
network’. Besides setting out basic requirements for data risk
mitigation, reporting of data security incidents, data security
management, artificial intelligence data security management, and
national security reviews, the Regulations impose stricter
compliance requirements for specific scenarios such as personal
information processing, important data processing, cross-border
data transfer, and services provided by online platform
operators.

Notable points include:

  • Compliance obligations for automated data collection
    technologies:
    It is forbidden to intrude on others’
    networks or disrupt the normal operation of network services. When
    inadvertent collecting of personal information occurs, for example
    in the context of an automated process, the information must be
    deleted or anonymized.

  • Large volume personal information may be designated as
    important data:
    Entities processing personal information
    from over 10 million individuals must adhere to certain compliance
    obligations similar to those imposed on important data
    processors.

  • New exemptions for personal information cross-border
    transfer:
    Unlike previous legislation, the Management
    Regulations articulate regular cross-border data transfer
    exemptions through administrative regulations, terming it the
    ‘personal information transfer mechanism’. It also
    introduces a new scenario when the transfer is indeed necessary to
    fulfill statutory duties or obligations.

  • Special obligations for online platform service
    providers:
    These include the duty to supervise the data
    security protection of third-party products and services on the
    platform, the allocation of responsibilities among the platform,
    third-party product/service providers, and manufacturers of smart
    terminals with pre-installed applications for user damages, etc.
    Moreover, platforms with more than 50 million registered users, or
    more than 10 million monthly active users with a complex business
    and a significant impacts on national security, economic
    operations, or people’s livelihoods, are considered ‘large
    online platform service providers.’ These platform service
    providers are subjected to higher obligations for personal
    information and consumer protection, such as not imposing
    unreasonable differential treatment on users.

  • Refined penalty provisions: The Management
    Regulations specify different penalty details for various
    violations, including failure to fulfill data processing compliance
    obligations, national security review obligations, and obligations
    for processing important data. The most severe penalty is for
    non-compliance with national security review obligations, with a
    maximum fine of up to RMB 10 million (about US$ 1.4
    million).

Source: State Council

https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/202409/content_6977766.htm


国家知识产权局发布《中国专利密集型产业统计监测报告》

日期:2024-09-20


中国《”十四五”国家知识产权保护和运用规划》提出”培育专利密集型产业”的工作任务,预期到2025年专利密集型产业总价值占国内生产总值(GDP)比重达到13%。根据国家统计局的分类标准,专利密集型产业包括信息通信技术制造业、新装备制造业、新材料制造业、医药医疗产业、环保产业、信息通信技术服务业,以及研发、设计和技术服务业。这些产业创新能力强、发展潜力大,集聚了全国企业近五成的研发经费投入,产出了七成左右的发明专利。


根据国知局与国家统计局2024年的联合公告,我国专利密集型产业规模在近年来稳步壮大,2022年产业增加值达到
15.32
万亿元,比上年增长
7.13% ,占 GDP 的比重达到
12.71%。其中信息通信技术服务业(14.86%)、研发、设计和技术服务业(11%),以及信息通信技术制造业(10.23%)是五年来增长最快的三个产业。

研发投入方面,2022
年,我国专利密集型产业
R&D
经费内部支出达到
1.14
万亿元,比上年增长
11.28%,投入强度达
2.46%,达到非专利密集型产业的两倍及以上。高投入也带动了新产业的研发,2022年,专利密集型产业新产品销售占营业收入比重高达37.02%,比非专利密集型产业高15.85%。此外,专利密集型产业吸纳就业不断增加,劳动生产率日益提升。2022
年,相关就业人员共
4916.65
万人,占全社会就业人员的
6.70%,比上年提高 0.18 个
百分点。


资料来源:国家知识产权局

新闻链接:https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/art/2024/9/20/art_88_195059.html

CNIPA Releases Statistical Monitoring Report on Patent
Intensive Industries in China

Date: 20 September, 2024

China’s ’14th Five-Year Plan’ for Intellectual Property
Protection and Utilization aims to cultivate patent-intensive
industries, with the goal that, by 2025, these industries will
contribute 13% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The National Bureau of Statistics defines patent-intensive
industries as including information and communication technology
manufacturing, new equipment manufacturing, new material
manufacturing, pharmaceutical and medical industry, environmental
protection industry, information and communication technology
services, as well as R&D, design, and technology services.
These sectors, known for their robust innovation capabilities and
substantial growth potential, represent nearly 50% of the
country’s enterprise R&D investment and generate around 70%
of invention patents.

A joint announcement by CNIPA and the National Bureau of
Statistics in 2024 highlighted the steady expansion of China’s
patent-intensive industries. In 2022, these industries’ added
value reached RMB 15.32 trillion (about US$ 2.34 trillion), a 7.13%
increase from the previous year, representing 12.71% of GDP. The
fastest-growing sectors over the past five years were information
and communication technology services (14.86%), R&D, design,
and technology services (11%), and information and communication
technology manufacturing (10.23%).

Regarding R&D investment, in 2022, internal expenditure on
R&D in China’s patent-intensive industries reached RMB 1.14
trillion (about US$ 175 billion), marking an 11.28% increase from
the previous year, with an investment intensity of 2.46%—more
than double that of non-patent-intensive industries. This
substantial investment has spurred R&D in new products. In
2022, new product sales in patent-intensive industries constituted
37.02% of business revenue, 15.85% higher than in
non-patent-intensive industries. Moreover, employment in
patent-intensive industries is on the rise, with labor productivity
increasing. In 2022, the number of employees in these industries
was 49.1665 million, accounting for 6.70% of total societal
employment, a 0.18% increase from the previous year.

Source: China National Intellectual Property Administration

https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/art/2024/9/20/art_88_195059.html


最高法明确判断保密义务时”在中国完成的发明”的认定标准

日期:2024-09-05


近日,最高人民法院知识产权法庭审理了一起关于血气生化分析仪技术的发明专利权无效行政纠纷上诉案件。案件中,美国某公司持有名为”一种体外医疗诊断装置和系统”的发明专利。中国某公司请求宣告该专利无效,主张该技术方案是该美国公司在广东省某科研项目的成果,美国公司未进行保密审查就将在中国完成的发明向国外申请专利,违反了专利法规定,因此美国公司以同样技术方案在中国申请的专利也应当予以无效。国家知识产权局作出维持专利权有效的决定,万某公司不服,提起诉讼。


本案适用2008年《专利法》第20条规定,”任何单位或者个人将在中国完成的发明或者实用新型向外国申请专利的,应当事先报经国务院专利行政部门进行保密审查。保密审查的程序、期限等按照国务院的规定执行。”而最高人民法院二审在二审中指出,判断专利申请人是否负有保密审查义务,取决于技术方案的实质性内容是否在中国完成。而法庭根据涉案专利发明人的沟通邮件和技术内容,结合争议广东省某科研项目记载的项目背景、项目进度等情况,认定涉案专利技术方案的实质性内容在广东省某科研项目立项时即已完成,因此现有证据不足以证明涉案专利技术方案的实质性内容是在中国境内完成。


资料来源:最高人民法院

新闻链接:https://enipc.court.gov.cn/zh-cn/news/view-3404.html

The Supreme People’s Court Clarifies the Criteria
for ‘Inventions Completed in China’ in Determining the Duty
of Confidentiality

Date: 5 September, 2024

In a recent appeal involving a patent invalidation case, the
Supreme People’s Court (SPC) clarified the criteria for
determining whether an invention has been ‘completed in
China’ for the purposes of Article 21 of the Patent Law of
2008, which provides: ‘Where an entity or individual intends to
file an application in a foreign country for patenting an invention
or utility model completed in China, they shall report in advance
to the patent administrative department of the State Council for
confidentiality review. The provisions of the State Council shall
be followed in regard to the procedures and time limit for the
confidentiality review.’

In this case, a Chinese company had sought to invalidate a US
company’s invention patent for ‘an in vitro medical
diagnostic device and system,’ on the ground that the patented
technology had been developed as part of a research project in
Guangdong Province and that the US company has contravened the law
by filing for a patent abroad without first reporting to the State
Council for a confidentiality review. Consequently, the
corresponding Chinese patent with the same technical solutions
should be declared invalid. Both the CNIPA and the Beijing
Intellectual Property Court upheld the patent’s validity,
prompting the Chinese company to appeal to the
SPC.

On appeal, the SPC pointed out that the determination of whether
the patent applicant has a confidentiality review obligation
depends on whether the substantive content of the technical
solution was completed in China. It determined, on the basis of
detailed evidence relating to the substance of the research project
in Guangdong Province, that the substantive content of the patented
technical solution had already been completed at the time of the
establishment of the research project in Guangdong Province. The
invention had not been completed within the territory of China. The
validity of US company’s patent was, therefore, upheld.

Source: The Supreme People’s Court

https://enipc.court.gov.cn/zh-cn/news/view-3404.html


上海知产法院对德力西商标侵权案作出终审判决

日期:2024-09-24


德力西集团为中国电气行业龙头企业,连续23年上榜中国企业500强,”德力西”商标在1999年被国家商标局认定为”中国驰名商标”。
德力西集团多次投诉上海德力西开关有限公司(下称上海德力西开关)及关联企业侵犯其字号权、商标权等权益
,上海德力西开关关联公司,包括德力西装潢、德力西实业等陆续被强制更名或注销,但作为核心企业的上海德力西开关仍未更名。2022年,德力西集团上诉至上海知识产权法院,请求判令上海德力西开关停止使用”德力西”字号及相关虚假宣传,赔偿德力西集团相关损失3000万元。


上海知识产权法院认为,上海德力西开关以”德力西”为字号,主观上有”搭便车”的故意,客观上易导致相关公众的混淆误认,其行为构成不正当竞争。
当事人之间的纠纷经历数次行政处理,以及有的涉案商品上存在单独的不正当竞争行为,有的涉案商品上同时存在不正当竞争和商标侵权行为等诸多情况,最终判令上海德力西开关有限公司立即停止使用含德力西字样的企业名称,赔偿德力西集团有限公司经济损失500万元。


资料来源:澎湃新闻
2024-09-24

新闻链接:https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_28843151

Shanghai IP Court Renders Final Judgment on Delixi
Trademark Infringement Case

Date: 24 September, 2024

Delixi Group, a prominent figure in China’s electrical
sector, has been ranked among the country’s Top 500 Enterprises
for 23 years straight. The ‘Delixi’ brand was acknowledged
as a well-known trademark by the CNIPA back in 1999. Previously,
Delixi Group had lodged multiple complaints against Shanghai Delixi
Switch Co., Ltd. and its subsidiaries for trade name and trademark
infringements, as well as other rights violations. While associated
companies like Delixi Decoration and Delixi Industry have been
compelled to rebrand or deregister, Shanghai Delixi Switch had
continued using the Delixi name and mark. In 2022, Delixi Group
petitioned the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court to halt
Shanghai Delixi Switch’s use of the ‘Delixi’ trade name
and associated misleading promotions, seeking compensation for
damages estimated at RMB 30 million (about US$ 4.4 million).

The Shanghai Intellectual Property Court determined that
Shanghai Delixi Switch’s use of ‘Delixi’ in its trade
name was an intentional act of ‘passing off’ and could
cause confusion among the public, which is considered unfair
competition. The case involved several administrative proceedings,
with some products being singled out for claims of unfair
competition and others for both unfair competition and trademark
infringement. Taking all of these into consideration, the Court
ruled that Shanghai Delixi Switch Co., Ltd. cease using the name
containing ‘Delixi’ and pay Delixi Group Co., Ltd. damages
of RMB 5 million (about US$ 0.74 million).

Source: Peng-Pai News

https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_28843151

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