China IPR

ECCP News

Keeping a trade secret - part two

Trade secrets are a valuable and highly useful form of intellectual property right (IPR). As the name suggests however, trade secrets are a non-registrable form of intellectual property; they only enjoy legal protection if they are not disclosed publically. It is, therefore, crucial to prevent your...
ECCP News

Keeping a trade secret - part one

Trade secrets are a valuable and highly useful form of intellectual property. Nearly all businesses in all industries and sectors have them. Nevertheless, they are often undervalued and overlooked by their owners. This is not least the case in the service sector where the relative value of trade...
ECCP News

Champagne or Sparkling Wine? Geographical indications in China

Champagne, Bordeaux, Parma Ham, Parmesan - each of these products is associated with a certain region and are renowned and trusted for their nature, quality, and authenticity. As a consumer, you are probably more familiar with Scotch, Cognac, and Bavarian beer than unnamed brands claiming to use the...
ECCP News

Trade fairs in China: steps to protect your IPR

Trade fairs are an excellent opportunity for a business to showcase new products and scout business partners for manufacturing, promotion, and distribution. Unfortunately, in China, these exhibitions are a common prowling grounds for intellectual property rights infringers, so it is important to...
ECCP News

The first line of defence: Using customs to protect your IPR in China

Businesses in Europe have increasingly benefited from customs authorities acting to prevent counterfeit products from entering their borders – seizures of products, infringing on the intellectual property (IP) of others, make the news in Europe every week. However, not many businesses realise that...
ECCP News

Patent protection in China: know before you go

It is a given that patent protection has to be requested before a respective product is introduced to a domestic national market. However, it is less often considered how a product may appeal in other world markets, and that these may not extend automatic protection for an invention registered back...
ECCP News

Intellectual property protection in the food and beverage industry in China

In 2011 China surpassed the United States as the world’s largest consumer market for the food and beverage (F&B) industry. Chinese demand for imported F&B products, fueled by food safety concerns involving domestically produced products such as the 2008 tainted milk scandal, has continued to rise...
ECCP News

Keeping trade secrets in China - a case study

Nearly all businesses in all industries and sectors possess trade secrets. Trade secrets are a valuable and highly useful form of intellectual property (IP) that are, nevertheless often undervalued and overlooked by their owners. This is not least the case in the service sector where the relative...
ECCP News

IPR protection in China for the medical device industry - a case study

A European company in the dental instruments sector was selling their product in China through a Chinese distributor. The company discovered a competitor in China was offering a similar, but lower-specification product, using an identical exterior design, colour scheme, and control interface. The...
ECCP News

Protecting your IP while Transferring Technology to China

While in the past, European companies came to China to take advantage of low-cost manufacturing for export, more recently, they have come to enter the Chinese domestic market, establish R&D, engage in cooperative development, take advantage of a skilled work force, establish suppliers, and develop...
ECCP News

Cleantech in China - IP Strategies for a Rapidly Expanding Market

China is the fastest growing market for wind and nuclear power generation, and is investing heavily in exploring alternative, renewable means of addressing its immense energy needs. With a large potential cleantech market, and strong government support for the development and adoption of new clean...