On 13th December 2017, Lifang & Partners held a seminar on Chinese IP protection. During the seminar, observations were made regarding trends in the protection of Chinese IP. This seminar was our last for 2017 and the last of our 15th anniversary events.

Our Ms. Zhang Bin and Mr. Lu Gang, senior partners, acted as keynote speakers. They shared their experiences from practice and provided an in-depth commentary on their observations regarding trends in Chinese IP protection. This particular open-door event was so well attended that we had to obtain additional seating at short notice.

We at Lifang & Partners have been protecting our clients IP in China for 15 years. During that time, we have represented clients in a number of leading cases. Having the opportunity to work at the cutting edge of legal practice, means that our lawyers can bring additional experiences and insights to our clients when providing services.

Ms. Zhang, during her 15 years’ of practice, has represented a number of clients in a number of important and high profile cases before the Supreme People’s Court and the High People’s Courts. Ms. Zhang also provides non-litigious IP strategy services for a number of clients in different industry sectors. During her seminar, Ms. Zhang discussed “Current Legal Strategies for IP Protection.” Ms. Zhang outlined the latest trends shown from big data regarding the judicial protection of IP in China. She also analyzed several recent laws and regulations that have had a significant impact on IP protection and described how to strategically navigate the IP system to take full advantage of evidence preservation, preliminary injunctions, non-disclosure of evidence, investigation orders, expert witnesses, expert advisors, technician officers, case precedents and interlocutory awards. Ms. Zhang concluded her presentation by describing the best way to optimize the levels of infringement damages.

Mr. Lu acts as the permanent legal consultant for several international software and high-tech enterprises, and has represented a number of multi-national clients in computer software infringement matters. During his presentation, Mr. Lu discussed the “Administrative Protection for Computer Software Copyright.” His presentation included his experience in the protection of IP, an introduction to and analysis of the governmental bodies that enforce copyright, different types of illegal acts, various administrative sanctions, and the respective benefits of criminal and administrative sanctions. Mr. Lu also explained the methods and practical difficulties of ingathering evidence, along with the coping skills required to deal with computer software copyright infringement.

During the tea break and interaction session, our guests discussed and exchanged ideas with our lawyers about the daily problems that they face in trying to protect their IP. Quite a few guests said that through this seminar, they gained a clearer and broader understanding of how to protect their IP and how to avoid accidentally infringing the IP of others.

Lifang & Partners is one of the few go-to law firms for novel and high-profile intellectual property issues in China. Many members of our firm have both legal and technical qualifications. Some have had experience working in the Chinese Central Government and Chinese judicial system before they entered private practice. At Lifang & Partners, we encourage our lawyers to combine academic study, practical experience, and efficient communication to provide high-quality legal services.