On 21 April 2022 China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) released the Top 10 Intellectual Property Cases and a list of 50 Typical Intellectual Property Cases in Chinese Courts in 2021. The cases cover trademark infringement, unfair competition, trade secret misappropriation, antitrust, new plant variety infringement, invention patent infringement, and copyright infringement. Of particular note was Wyeth’s win for trademark infringement that resulted in a significant punitive damages award and a vanillin trade secret misappropriation case that led to one of the highest intellectual property verdicts in China. 

According to its 2021 Work Report, the people’s courts at all levels accepted 642,968 intellectual property rights (IPR) cases during 2021, and concluded 601,544 cases, respectively increasing by 22.33% and 14.71% from 2020. Many of these cases relate to emerging technologies, showcasing the joint efforts of the courts nationwide to promote the innovation-driven development in China and ensure healthy growth of the digital economy. 

The top 10 IP cases are as follows:

1. Disputes over trademark infringement and unfair competition between Shuangfeiren Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Guangzhou Wrights Business Consulting Co., Ltd.

2. The case of disputes over infringement of trade secrets between Jiaxing Zhonghua Chemical Co., Ltd., Shanghai Xinchen New Technology Co., Ltd. and Wanglong Group Co., Ltd.

3. Taizhou Luqiao Geely Motor Vehicle Driving Training Co., Ltd., Taizhou Luqiao District Chengrong Driver Training Co., Ltd. and Taizhou Luqiao District Donggang Automobile Driving Training School, etc., Taizhou Luqiao District Zhedong Driver Training Service Co., Ltd. has a horizontal monopoly Agreement Dispute Case

4. Jiangsu Jindi Seed Industry Technology Co., Ltd. and Jiangsu Qingengtian Agricultural Industry Development Co., Ltd. for the dispute over infringement of new plant variety rights

5. Zhou Qin and Wuxi Ruizhishun Machinery Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Infringement of Invention Patent Disputes

6. Wyeth Co., Ltd., Wyeth (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd., and the former Guangzhou Wyeth Baby Maternity and Baby Products Co., Ltd. Infringement of trademark rights and unfair competition disputes

7. China Acrobatic Troupe Co., Ltd. and Zhang Shuo Acrobatic Troupe in Sangyuan Town, Wuqiao County, etc. Disputes over copyright ownership and copyright infringement

8. Jining Luohe Network Technology Co., Ltd. and Guangzhou Wanyou Network Technology Co., Ltd., a case concerning infringement of computer software copyright

9. Unfair competition disputes between Shanghai Hantao Information Consulting Co., Ltd. and Qingdao Simple Payment Network Technology Co., Ltd.

10. Liang Yongping, Wang Zhenghang and other 15 persons infringing copyrights

Source: www.chinacourt.org