Intellectual Property
At Zhongzi Law Office, we have built up the largest intellectual property practice among general practice firms in China. The firm's intellectual property practice group (the Group) provides full-range service in all aspects of intellectual property law-counseling, application, prosecution, enforcement and litigation. The Group's practice encompasses patent, trademarks, copyright, unfair competition, trade secret, trade dress, breeders' rights, integrated circuit layout design, franchising, licensing, intellectual property management and transactions. Our service further extends to other intellectual property-related matters such as advertising, consumers rights, product liability, technical document search and translation.
The Group's patent team consists of highly experienced and specialized attorneys with degrees from the country's leading universities and institutes in practically all fields of science and technology, inter alia pharmaceuticals, biotech, chemistry, chemical engineering, telecommunication, computer science, electronics, material science, physics, machinery and mechanical engineering. Attorneys of the team have practiced over twenty years and have represented both domestic and foreign clients including world's leading corporations and research institutions.
Consisting of attorneys-at-law and trademark attorneys who received education and training at home and abroad, the Group's trademark team has more than a decade experience in representing clients in various industries, including automobile, computer science, telecommunication, food and drinks, pharmaceuticals, advertising, entertainment and other industrial and service sectors. Attorneys in this team are capable to provide high-efficient legal services in trademark inquiries, registration and objection, administrative investigation and litigation of trademark infringement and other issues.
The Group's litigation team provides proactive representation for clients who wish to enforce their rights through administrative and court proceedings. What is particularly notable is the team's combined knowledge of legal procedures and technologies. They themselves are both technical and legal experts who know and well master litigation tactics and strategies and understand key technical issues. Attorneys of the team have successfully assisted many of our clients in enforcing and defending their rights. Over the years, they have accumulated experience, knowledge, expertise and skills that can successfully guide our clients in an uncertain enforcement environment. We are truly proud of their winning capabilities both in and out of the court.
While emphasizing experience, expertise and knowledge of attorneys, we have not underestimated how modern technologies can assist us in perfecting our service to clients. A customized and reliably structured computer system has been in place that greatly facilitates our service to attend to renewals, annuity payments and intellectual property portfolio management.
Members of the Group sit on the Board of China Intellectual Property Society (CIPS), and are directors of Chinese Group of AIPPI. Attorneys of the Group are active members of many international organizations of intellectual property protection, such as INTA, AIPPI and LES. They are frequently invited to give talks or presentations on laws and practices in China. Their articles have been published in numerous publications both at home and abroad.
The Group offers the following services:
● Procurement of patents for inventions, utility models and designs in China and worldwide;
● Attending payment of annuities;
● Invalidation and appeal proceedings before the Patent Re-examination Board and the People's Courts;
● Patent litigation and enforcement of patents;
● Patentability evaluations, patent validity and infringement studies;
● Patent licensing and technology transfer;
● Counseling and assistance in ADR proceedings;
● Advice and implementation of programs relating to creation, selection, clearance, use, registration and enforcement of trademarks, service marks, business names, trade dress, packaging design,and related matters in China and worldwide;
● Advice and implementation of transfers, licenses and changes of trademarks, trade name, trade dress, packaging design;
● Litigation and enforcement of trademarks, trade name and other related rights;
● Opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademark Office and the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board (TRAB);
● Patent and trademark search, watch and surveillance and counterfeit/ infringement investigations;
● Registration of integrated circuit layout design;
● Registration of patents and trademarks in Hong Kong;
● Unfair competition; trade secret and confidentiality agreements;
● Counseling and registration of copyright works,including computer software and other works;
● Domain name registration and dispute resolutions;
● Other intellectual property related matters.
