Tag Archives: Trade Marks

IPR Protection in China for the GNSS Technologies

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technology-2082642_1280Driven by consumers’ obsession with smartphones, China’s market for GNSS technologies offers promising business opportunities for European SMEs whose top-notch technology is highly sought after in China. European SMEs wishing to do business in China should however be aware of the fact that IP infringements are still relatively common in China and thus a comprehensive IP strategy is needed in order to succeed in China’s market. Today’s blog post, thus, offers an overview of IP protection tools in China, focusing especially on the GNSS technologies.  

GNSS and China

In an increasingly technologically advanced and interconnected world, technology utilising GNSS has risen year on year, with both entirely new applications being developed along with improvements and adaptations to existing technologies.

At present there are two globally operating GNSS systems; the United States’ Global Positioning System (GPS), and the Russian Global’naya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema or (GLONASS) system. There are also two GNSS systems currently under development; Galileo, a European Union-led initiative and the expansion of the Chinese BeiDou system to the global Compass Navigation System. Both of these systems currently provide incomplete or regional coverage and are scheduled to be fully operational globally by 2020.

GNSS technology has a wide range of applications including LBS, maritime transport, public regulated services, road transport, agriculture, surveying, aviation, civil protection and timing and synchronisation.

These technologies depend on a number of factors, including ‘availability’ i.e. the percentage of time the minimum number of satellites are in view, ‘indoor penetration’ i.e. the ability of signal to penetrate inside buildings, location accuracy, continuity of service and signal reliability. Success in the GNSS market depends on the successful exploitation of technology to maximise the success of devices abilities to transmit and receive in line with these dependant factors. This makes protection of IPR crucial to maintaining market advantage and adequate returns on research investment. Continue reading “IPR Protection in China for the GNSS Technologies” »

IPR Protection for the Chemical industry in Malaysia

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Chemist Writing Molecular DiagramThe chemical industry in Malaysia has recently caught the interest of many European SMEs as the industry offers several promising business opportunities for the European companies. Since counterfeiting and other IP violations are still commonplace in Malaysia, South-East Asia IPR SME Helpdesk has decided to address the issue of IP protection in Malaysia in today’s blog post, focusing especially on the chemical industry. 

Malaysia’s chemical industry

Malaysia’s chemical trade with the European Union, excluding pharmaceuticals, reached 1.19 billion euros in 2015, equalling 8.4% of all EU exports to Malaysia. Chemical imports into the EU reached 1.03 billion euros, a total of 5.3% of all EU imports from Malaysia[1]. The chemical industry feeds into most of Malaysia’s other major industries, including automotive parts, electronics, and construction equipment, and is dominated by petrochemicals (43.6%, with major exports consisting of polymers of ethylene in other forms, methanol, and saturated polyesters in primary forms) and oleo-chemicals (21.9%, with major exports consisting of industrial fatty alcohols, palm fatty acid distillates, stearic acid, soap noodles, and acetic acid)[2]. Major chemical production centres include dedicated zones in Gebeng, Kertih, Pasir Gudang, and Pengerang. Continue reading “IPR Protection for the Chemical industry in Malaysia” »

IPR Protection in China for the Fashion Industry

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fashion2The fashion industry is booming in China and offering also many promising business opportunities  to European SMEs as Chinese consumers appreciate European fashion design. European SMEs should, however, keep in mind that even though Chinese IP laws and regulations have improved a lot, counterfeiting and other IP infringements are still commonplace in China. This blog post gives an overview of IP protection in the fashion industry and explains through one well-known case study the importance of registering also the Chinese version of your brand.  

The fashion industry encompasses the design, manufacturing, distribution, retailing, marketing and promotion of clothing, footwear and accessories and is worth billions of Euros every year.

While the fashion industry initially developed in Europe and the United States (the Italian footwear industry is one of the largest in the world and the textile industry is one of the United States’ most important employers in the manufacturing sector), today, fashion is an international and highly globalized sector.

China’s fashion industry, for instance, is set to become the world’s second largest fashion market by 2020, with sales expected to reach over RMB 1.3 trillion (EUR 182 billion) – roughly three times their current level.[1] According to the Boston Consulting Group, China will account for 30% of the global fashion market’s growth over the next five years.[2]  Continue reading “IPR Protection in China for the Fashion Industry” »

Booming ICT Market in Thailand – Some IP Considerations for the European SMEs

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In today’s blog post, we will dive into IPR protection in the ICT Sector in Thailand: Thailand is currently the second largest buyer of ICT products and services in the ASEAN region and its ICT market is expected to grow at a fast pace in the near future, propelled by increased consumption and urbanisation, as well as the growing middle class.[1] Underpinned by the Thai Government’s new Digital Economy Policy, aiming to develop hard and soft digital infrastructure across the country and modernizing the economy through digitalization, Thailand is expected to offer many promising business opportunities for European SMEs.

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Continue reading “Booming ICT Market in Thailand – Some IP Considerations for the European SMEs” »

IPR in the Tourism Industry in China

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According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, China is the fastest growing tourism source market in the world, as Chinese middle class is getting more affluent and it is increasingly able to afford traveling abroad. At the same time, China’s domestic tourism market is also growing in a fast pace, boasting 10% average annual growth rate.[1] Furthermore, as Chinese Government is committed to developing the tourism sector, plenty of business opportunities can arise for the European SMEs. In today’s blog-post, the China IPR SME Helpdesk will look into what EU SMEs should do to protect their IPR in the tourism sector in China.

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However, there are some significant restrictions for foreign-invested companies wishing to engage in Chinese ‘outbound’ tourism market, as all foreign-invested entities need to apply for a special license with the China National Tourism Administration. The application process is lengthy and currently only few foreign-invested companies are allowed to operate on China’s outbound tourism market.

Continue reading “IPR in the Tourism Industry in China” »