In theory China’s inventorship standard is similar to others around the world. An inventor is anyone who “makes creative contributions to the substantive features” of an invention. But what does this mean, and how does one apply this standard? Up to this point, this issue hasn’t really been litigated much in China (at least according to publicly available records). We finally have an important case (from the top!) that clarifies this issue. We analyse a binding judgment by the Intellectual Property Court of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) of China1. It clarifies China’s applicable inventorship standards and the potential legal consequences of omitting qualified inventors. For U.S. companies conducting R&D…
- China, Courts, inventors, inventorship, Patent, patent application, Patent Law, Supreme People's Court
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Breaking: China Released Drug Trial Data Protection Implementation Measures
On May 15, 2026, China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) officially announced the final Measures for the Implementation of Drug Trial Data Protection1 (“Measures”), effective May 15, 2026. These Measures provide important details supporting the recently announced Implementing Regulations of the Drug Administration Law (“Regulations” – also effective May 15, 2026), which formally introduced a statutory market exclusivity of up to 7 years for qualifying orphan drugs, up to 2 years for pediatric drugs, and up to 6 years data exclusivity for “new chemical entity drugs and other drugs”. Key Highlights Under the finalized Measures, the NMPA2 grants a maximum regulatory data protection (“RDP”) period of up to 6 years…
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Please “Mind the Traps”: Four Common Misconceptions About Hong Kong Patents
For many foreign companies interested in the broader Asian market, Hong Kong is a strategically important jurisdiction. However, because of its unique legal framework, domestic and foreign companies alike are confused by how IP protection works in Hong Kong. Missteps in such understanding can lead to critical, costly “gaps” in IP protection. To safeguard innovations effectively in Hong Kong, be aware of these four common misconceptions: Hong Kong IP protection goes well beyond a simple registration of a Chinese or European/UK patent. There are many strategies and multi-layered approaches for protecting IP in this key jurisdiction. If you would like to have more information on this matter or would like…






