1. Beijing
Lawsuit over 'Dell' school trademark
Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court has begun hearing a lawsuit against the Trademark Appeal Board filed by US computer giant Dell after the board upheld an English school's trademark with same pronunciation as Dell's Chinese version.
Longman Schools was granted the trademark in 2009 despite Dell's objection.
In upholding Longman's trademark, the appeals board noted the difference in spelling and said evidence presented by Dell did not prove it qualifies for well-known status and cross-sector protection despite its reputation in personal computers.
Beijing Times
2. Shandong
Home-developed RV rolls off the line
The first home-developed RV made by Qingdao Chuntian Vehicle Co Ltd rolled off the production line this month.
The 20-square-meter RV is equipped with a bed, television, stove, refrigerator, couch and shower. It retails for nearly 500,000 yuan ($79,400).
The company also plans to develop a large R&D center, two factories and several RV camps in the next three to five years.
Qingdao Daily
3. Shanghai
Court forbids papercut chicken image
Shanghai No 1 Intermediate People's Court recently ordered fast-food chain Zhending Chicken to stop using a rooster image on its logo due to copyright infringement.
Four plaintiffs claimed that the image was made in 1979 by their late father, papercut master Wang Zigan. The creation has since been published many times.
The plaintiffs said Zhending Chicken registered the image as part of its trademark in early 2010.
The court noted the "material similarity" between the trademark picture and Wang's papercut rooster, and ordered the restaurant chain to pay 80,000 yuan in compensation.
People.com.cn
4. Sichuan
Rewards for filing new patents
The Suining city government recently rewarded 30 small businesses with a total of 238,000 yuan for filing new patents last year.
The awards policy for small and medium-sized companies spurred innovation and promoted a rise in patent applications, local officials said.
Suining businesses and individuals filed for 450 patents in 2011, an increase of 82 percent over the previous year, with nearly 230 applications granted.
The city government is encouraging patent industrialization through communication with companies and organizing IP training programs, local officials said.
Suining News
5. Chongqing
New regional patent center approved
The State Intellectual Property Office has approved a regional center in the southwestern municipality to offer services ranging from patent promotion and evaluation to licensing, transfer and payment.
Using cloud computing technology, the center will also provide global patent data and research reports.
The center is expected to attract IP agents, lawyers, consultants, analysts, and experts in trade and finance, officials said.
Xinhuanet. com
6. Hainan
Symposium on clean energy IP
An intellectual property symposium in Haikou on clean energy early this month attracted more than 100 industry experts and government officials from China and the United States.
The meeting discussed IP cooperation on clean energy and agreed to hold a second session in the US later this year.
The event was organized by the US-China Clean Energy Research Center, which was founded in 2009 for joint research into advanced coal technologies, energy efficient buildings and clean vehicles.
Sipo.gov.cn
(China Daily 03/28/2012 page17)
