Managing Intellectual Property – The 10 Trade Mark Topics to Watch
When Jack Ma called on Chinese legislators to enact tougher laws against counterfeiting in March, some applauded and some rolled their eyes.
The eye-rolling was due in part to the fact that Ma’s company, Alibaba, is rumoured to have influenced the draft e-commerce law that was released by China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) last December, a draft that many brand owners and lawyers say falls far short of expectations. “It’s a big missed opportunity,” says Joe Simone, founder and director of SIPS in Hong Kong. “The core IP provisions represent a step backwards for Chinese law. It’s far below the standards the Chinese courts themselves use.”
