IPR Protection in China for the Medical Device Industry: Case Study

pharma-sectorIn today’s blog post we will take a look at a case study from the medical device industry in order to explore how important it is to register and obtain IP rights in China before starting to do business in or with China. The case study will also show that persistent IP enforcement is one of the key factors to IP protection and business success in China. 

Background of the Case

A European company in the dental instruments sector was selling their product in China through a Chinese distributor. They discovered a competitor in China was offering a similar, but lower-specification product, using an identical exterior design, colour scheme, and control interface. The technical manual, diagrams and parts of their brochure appeared in part to be directly copied from the original. Overall, the competitor’s product gave the appearance of being similar in function to that of the European company, although its performance level and price were much lower. Continue reading “IPR Protection in China for the Medical Device Industry: Case Study” »

The 2016 Amendment to Thailand’s Trademark Act – Its Changes, Significance, and Consequences

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trademarkThailand has issued new amendments to its Trademark Act, which will enter into force in the end of July, this year. In order to  allow you to familiarize yourselves with the upcoming changes, our IPR SME Helpdesk expert Mr. Franck Fougere from Ananda Intellectual Property has kindly drafted for us a blog post explaining the amendments to the Trademark Act and discussing their significance for the SMEs.

The widely forecasted amendment to Thailand’s Trademark Act of B.E. 2534 (1991 A.D) will become effective on July 28, 2016. Significant structural policy changes will include Thailand’s ratification of the Madrid Protocol and acceptance of sound marks for registration. Several other changes to be introduced via the Amendment will affect the mechanics of trademark registration and prosecution, and, thus, intellectual property (IP) strategy. Anticipated changes to the registration and prosecution process are discussed below. Continue reading “The 2016 Amendment to Thailand’s Trademark Act – Its Changes, Significance, and Consequences” »

We don’t need an IPR strategy for China….

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With a number of years of operating the China IPR SME Helpdesk under our belt, we’ve seen many changes to the types of enquiries we receive, as sectoral trends shift and businesses adjust to a changing IPR environment.

However, certain enquiry and case profiles persist – it seems that many businesses still hold the view that they face lower risks in China, and accordingly pay less attention to IP, only to realise their shortfalls too little, too late.

Here we look at some common misconceptions from those that think the risks are negligible….

Continue reading “We don’t need an IPR strategy for China….” »