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CNIPA 2026 Closure Dates
China’s State Council has recently released the official holiday schedule for 2026. China’s Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) holiday will last nine days, making it the longest in history. China will continue to have weekend “make-up” days. Patent deadlines are extended to the next working day, not including weekend make-up days while trademark deadlines are […]
China’s Supreme People’s Court Releases RFC for Draft Interpretation (III) on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in the Trial of Patent Infringement Disputes
On December 20, 2025, China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) released the Draft Interpretation (III) on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in the Trial of Patent Infringement Disputes (最高人民法院关于审理侵犯专利权纠纷案件应用法律若干问题的解释（三)) for comment. The Interpretation contains 31 articles covering issues such as jurisdiction, standing to sue, interpretation of claims, infringement comparison, defense of non-infringement, change of […]
CNIPA Releases Report on the Development of Building a Strong Intellectual Property Nation (2025) – ~10% of Patent Applications were ‘Irregular’
On December 17, 2025, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the Report on the Development of Building a Strong Intellectual Property Nation (2025) (知识产权强国建设发展报告(2025年)). The Report concludes that “overall progress in building a strong intellectual property nation is good… the rule of law has been further strengthened and the protection of intellectual property rights […]
China’s National Intellectual Property Administration Releases Opinions on Strengthening the Operation and Management of Intellectual Property Protection Centers and Rapid Rights Protection Centers
On December 10, 2025, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the Opinions on Strengthening the Operation and Management of Intellectual Property Protection Centers and Rapid Rights Protection Centers to Promote High-Quality and Collaborative Intellectual Property Protection (国家知识产权局关于加强知识产权保护中心和快速维权中心运行管理 高质量推进知识产权快速协同保护工作的意见). The Opinions aim to “promote the high-standard construction and high-quality operation of national-level intellectual property protection […]
China’s National Intellectual Property Administration Releases Guidelines for Design Patent Applications Involving Graphical User Interfaces
On December 5, 2025, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the Guidelines for Design Patent Applications Involving Graphical User Interfaces (涉及图形用户界面的产品外观设计专利申请指引). Per CNIPA, “this guide aims to guide innovators to accurately understand the rules governing GUI-related product design by introducing it’s characteristics, application document requirements, and typical cases of GUI-related design, thereby improving the […]
CNIPA November 2025 Press Conference: More Details on Examination of AI Patents and the Chinese IP Firm Rectification Campaign
On November 28, 2025, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) held a press conference that provided more details about the recently revised Guidelines for Patent Examination for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the recently announced Rectification Campaign on IP firms and IP practitioners that includes the Ministry of Public Security. Excerpts follow. Regarding the Examination Guidelines: […]