爱马仕诉“MetaBirkins”NFT作品侵犯商标权案获许继续；英特尔惨败VLSI后：除赔偿金外还需支付1.62亿美元的利息
编辑制作：China IP 国际部
录音：孙逸涵
OVERVIEW
一周概览
Focus
1. Marrakesh Treaty entered into force for China on May 5
马拉喀什条约于5月5日对中国正式生效
2. ByteDance changed its name to Douyin Group and its Tik Tok was involved in patent infringement in the U.S.
“字节跳动”更名“抖音”集团，其产品“Tik Tok在美被诉专利侵权
3. USPTO announces surcharge fee for non-DOCX fillings will be charged from January 1, 2023
美国专利商标局宣布自2023年1月1日起对非DOCX格式的专利申请收取额外费用
4. OFAC updates new interactions with Rospatent
美国财政部海外资产控制办公室发布文件更新与俄罗斯专利局的关系动态
5. Google signs agreements with more than 300 EU publishers: purchase for news services
谷歌与300余家欧盟出版商签署协议：为新闻服务付费
IP Practice
6. Hermes gained continuation of the lawsuit over 'MetaBirkins' NFTs
爱马仕诉“MetaBirkins”NFT作品侵犯商标权案获许继续
7. Intel owes $162 mln more after losing multibillion-dollar VLSI verdict in April
英特尔惨败VLSI后：除赔偿金外还需支付1.62亿美元的利息
8. BGI subsidiary was awarded $333 million in DNA-sequencing patent case against Illumina
获赔3.33亿美元：华大基因在特拉华州胜诉Illumina
9. U.S. court ruled a shift of proof burden in sweetener patent dispute
美法院认定甜味剂公司专利纠纷举证责任转移
10. Former Whirlpool executive sued for trade secret misappropriation after joining Haier
美国惠而浦高管遭商业秘密盗用起诉——因入职海尔
Case Analysis
11. Shenzhen Weiyuanma Software Development Co., Ltd. v. Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
反不正当竞争典型案例：腾讯公司诉微源码公司等不正当竞争纠纷案
Focus
1
Marrakesh Treaty entered into force for China on May 5
马拉喀什条约于5月5日对中国正式生效
On May 5, Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled entered into force for China, making China the 85th contracting party. The Marrakesh Treaty was ratified on June 27，2013, and is now administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency of the United Nations. The treaty, which requires parties to provide exceptions for copyright limitations to guarantee the right to equal access to works and education for people with reading disabilities, is by far the world's only human rights treaty in the field of copyright.
《关于为盲人、视力障碍者或其他印刷品阅读障碍者获得已出版作品提供便利的马拉喀什条约》今日对中国生效，中国成为条约的第85个缔约方。《马拉喀什条约》于2013年6月27日在摩洛哥马拉喀什通过，由联合国专门机构——世界知识产权组织管理。该条约要求各缔约方规定版权限制与例外，以保障阅读障碍者平等欣赏作品和接受教育的权利，是世界上迄今为止唯一一部版权领域的人权条约。
2
ByteDance changed its name to Douyin Group and its Tik Tok was involved in patent infringement in the U.S.
“字节跳动”更名“抖音”集团，其产品“Tik Tok在美被诉专利侵权
On May 6, according to Hong Kong Companies Registry website, that the company ByteDance (Hong Kong) Limited has changed its name to Douyin Group (Hong Kong) Limited. Several of its subsidiaries have also replaced their names with “Douyin”. As the global leader in short-form social medias, Douyin Group’s most well-known product "Douyin" has already gained 600 million users active daily. However, earlier on April 29, Tik Tok, another popular product of the company, was involved in a lawsuit in the U.S., in which Douyin Group was accused of patent infringement by a U.S. company called Advanced Codec Technologies LLC (ACT). The case is currently being processed.
5月6日，根据香港公司注册处网站显示，字节跳动（香港）有限公司已更名为抖音集团（香港）有限公司，生效时间为2022年5月6日，其旗下多个公司也更名为抖音。抖音集团是全球短视频社交媒体领导者，旗下最为人熟知的“抖音”产品日活用户数已达6亿。然而在今年4月29日，抖音集团的另一项大热产品Tik Tok在美国涉诉，一家名为先进编码技术的美国公司（Advanced Codec Technologies LLC，ACT）认为Tik Tok应用程序侵犯了三项美国专利。目前，案件正在处理中。
3
USPTO announces surcharge fee for non-DOCX fillings will be charged from January 1, 2023
美国专利商标局宣布自2023年1月1日起对非DOCX格式的专利申请收取额外费用
Recently, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) announced that the surcharge fee for patent applications that are not filed in DOCX format will not go into effect until January 1, 2023. During the period before non-DOCX filings are hit with the surcharge fee, USPTO is encouraging applicants to begin filing patent applications in DOCX format. To help the applicants get acclimated to the new format ruling, UPSTO is now providing applicants with the option to submit an applicant-generated PDF version of their application along with the DOCX file(s), but after January 1, 2023, such PDF will be recognized as “Auxiliary PDF of application” and be charged with surcharge fees according to the policy.
近日，美国专利商标局（UPSTO）宣布，对于非DOCX格式的专利申请收取额外费用的政策自2023年1月1日起生效。在该政策生效前，UPSTO鼓励申请人开始递交相应格式的申请文件。为了使申请人尽快适应新的格式规定，UPSTO现在允许申请人选择在递交DOCX格式的申请文件外，同时递交一份PDF版本的申请文件。但自2023年1月1日始，这种附带上传的由申请人自行生成的PDF格式文件会被认为是申请文件的PDF附件，按照新的格式政策将会产生额外费用。
4
OFAC updates new interactions with Rospatent
美国财政部海外资产控制办公室发布文件更新与俄罗斯专利局的关系动态
On May 5, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) published General License No. 31, which authorizes certain intellectual property-related transactions in Russia, including the filing and prosecution of any application to obtain a patent, trademark, or copyright, as well as the payment of renewal and maintenance fees. It is a recovery of interaction with Rospatent to a certain degree after U.S. cut all ties and connection with Rospatent in March due to the Ukraine issue.
5月5日，美国财政部外国资产控制办公室（OFAC）公布了第31号通用许可证，该许可证授权在俄罗斯进行部分与知识产权有关的交易，包括提交专利或版权商标申请、提交相关权利的起诉、支付续展费和权利维持费用。这是美国在3月因乌克兰问题切断与Rospatent公司的所有关系和联系后，一定程度上对与Rospatent互动关系的恢复。
5
Google signs agreements with more than 300 EU publishers: purchase for news services
谷歌与300余家欧盟出版商签署协议：为新闻服务付费
As reported, Google told the press that it had signed agreements to pay more than 300 publishers in Germany, France and four other EU countries for news purchase. In addition, Google will launch a tool to make it easier for other publishers to sign similar agreements with Google. The European Union passed a new copyright regulation in 2019 that requires online platforms to sign licensing agreements with musicians, performers, writers, news publishers and journalists before they can (purchase) use of their online works, while last year, Australia stipulated that payments for works and news are mandatory for online platforms, and similar regulations have been introduced in Canada last month.
据报道，谷歌向媒体宣布其已经签署了相关协议，向德国、法国和其他四个欧盟国家的300多家出版商支付购买新闻的费用。此外，谷歌将推出一个工具，以方便其他出版商与谷歌签署类似的协议. 欧盟在2019年通过了一项新的版权规则，要求网络平台在（购买）使用其网络作品之前与音乐家、表演者、作家、新闻出版商和记者签署许可协议。而去年，澳大利亚规定网络平台必须为作品付款，加拿大也在上个月出台了类似的规定。
IP Practice
6
Hermes gained continuation of the lawsuit over 'MetaBirkins' NFTs
爱马仕诉“MetaBirkins”NFT作品侵犯商标权案获许继续
On May 5, Hermes International SA persuaded a Manhattan federal judge not to throw out its trademark lawsuit against an artist for selling "MetaBirkins" non-fungible tokens depicting the French fashion house's Birkin bags covered in colorful fur. In January, Hermes sued Rothschild for trademark infringement and accused the artist of offering the NFTs at the Art Basel art fair in Miami in last December without its permission and had sold over $1 million worth of them by early January.
5月5日，爱马仕说服了联邦法官，不撤销其发起的对一位艺术家的商标侵权诉讼案件，该艺术家出售的 "MetaBirkins "非同质化代币（NFT）作品描绘的就是覆盖着各色皮毛的爱马仕柏金包。今年1月，爱马仕就名为“MetaBirkins”的NFT作品涉嫌侵权一事对Rothschild提起了诉讼，并且，爱马仕指控该艺术家在去年12月的巴塞尔艺术博览会上出售这些NFT作品并截止今年一月初已获利100多万美元。
7
Intel owes $162 mln more after losing multibillion-dollar VLSI verdict in April
英特尔惨败VLSI后：除赔偿金外还需支付1.62亿美元的利息
On May 10, according to a Texas federal judge, Intel Corp owes $162 million in interest to VLSI Technology LLC for infringing its patents for nearly a decade, adding to a jury's $2.1 billion verdict against the company last year, the awards of which ranked among the highest ones in the U.S. patent litigation history. Intel owes interest from when its computer chips first infringed VLSI's patents in 2013 through the court's final judgment in April, and its argument that VLSI was not entitled to interest because it does not produce or sell goods using its patented technology was also rejected.
More information, please refer to ：
5月10日，据一位德克萨斯州联邦法官称，英特尔公司因侵犯VLSI科技有限公司的专利权近十年，因而欠下了1.62亿美元的利息。这对于去年已经被裁决赔偿21亿美元的英特尔来说，雪上加霜。英特尔与VLSI的这场纠纷的赔偿标的在全美专利诉讼史上名列前茅。今年4月，法院对英特尔侵犯VLSI专利权一案做出了终审判决，英特尔也因此需偿付VLSI自2013年开始侵权至今产生的所有利息。与此同时，主审法官还驳回了其关于VLSI因没有使用专利技术生产或销售商品故不享有利息请求权的论点。
关于本案的更多信息请参考：
8
BGI subsidiary was awarded $333 million in DNA-sequencing patent case against Illumina
获赔3.33亿美元：华大基因在特拉华州胜诉Illumina
On May 6, a Delaware jury ordered Illumina Inc (ILMN.O) to pay more than $333 million to a U.S. unit of Chinese genomics company BGI Group after finding that Illumina's DNA-sequencing systems infringed two patents. The jury also said Illumina infringed the patents willfully, and that three patents it had accused BGI's Complete Genomics unit of infringing were invalid. BGI and Illumina are both major providers of genome-analysis technology used to detect genetic diseases. The companies have been embroiled in a global legal battle over their respective sequencing technologies, with court cases in countries including Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, and Turkey.
5月6日，美国特拉华联邦地区法院的一个陪审团判定，美国DNA测序公司Illumina的DNA测序系统侵犯了中国华大基因（BGI Group）美国分公司Complete Genomics的两个专利，命令Illumina向该公司支付超过3.33亿美元的赔偿。陪审团还判定，Illumina故意侵犯了这些专利，且Illumina指控Complete Genomics侵犯的三个专利均为无效。华大基因和Illumina都致力于通过基因组分析技术来检测遗传疾病，却因各自的测序技术在全球开展了一场法律战——在德国、丹麦、瑞士和土耳其等国相互提起诉讼。
9
U.S. court ruled a shift of proof burden in sweetener patent dispute
美法院认定甜味剂公司专利纠纷举证责任转移
On April 5, a judge in the U.S. District Court Central District of California granted a motion raised by U.S. sweetener company PureCircle Ltd. to shift the burden of proof to SweeGen by presuming that its rival SweeGen, Inc. has used PureCircle's patented technology to produce the steviol glycoside sweetener Reb M. Although PureCircle could not fully prove SweeGen's infringement, it had adequately exercised its duty of proof while being at a disadvantage stage, and the available evidence can lead to the conclusion that SweeGen is very likely to have conducted infringement. Consequently, the court held that PureCircle did not have to bear the burden of proof of infringement under Sections 271 and 295 of the U.S. Patent Act and shifted that burden to defendant SweeGen.
4月5日，美国加利福尼亚中区联邦地区法院的法官批准了美国甜味剂公司PureCircle Ltd.的动议，推定其竞争对手SweeGen, Inc.使用了PureCircle公司生产甜菊糖苷甜味剂Reb M的专利技术进行生产，从而将举证责任转移给了SweeGen。虽然PureCircle公司无法完全证明SweeGen的侵权行为，但是在处于不利地位的前提下，其已经履行了举证义务，且现有证据都可以得出SweeGen极有可能侵权的结论，法院根据美国专利法第271条和295条的规定，认为PureCircle公司无需承担侵权举证责任，转而将该责任转移给了被告SweeGen。
10
Former Whirlpool executive sued for trade secret misappropriation after joining Haier
美国惠而浦高管遭商业秘密盗用起诉——因入职海尔
On May 5, as reported, the former Whirlpool Corp executive Davide Cabri who left for appliance-industry competitor Haier has defeated, for now, claims in Delaware federal court that he stole company trade secrets, as according to the judge, Michigan-based Whirlpool failed to show that the court had jurisdiction over the claims against Davide Cabri and could not block him from working for Haier's European subsidiary Candy Hoover Group, but Whirlpool's claim that Cabri breached a contract with the company gained permission from the court to move forward. Whirlpool said in a statement provided on May 6, by its attorney that it would continue with the case and "vigorously explore all possible avenues" to protect its proprietary information.
据报道，5月5日，美国特拉华联邦地区法院判定美国家电巨头惠而浦集团（Whirlpool Corp.）在指控前高管Davide Cabri盗用商业秘密的诉讼中失败，但允许其继续推进其关于违约（breach of contract）的诉讼。该案件由惠而浦集团提起，被诉方是该公司的前意大利高管Davide Cabri。但该地区法院认为惠而浦未能证明法院对该案中关于商业秘密的权利要求有管辖权。因此不能阻止Davide Cabri为中国家电巨头海尔的欧洲子公司Candy Hoover Group工作。5月6日，惠而浦的律师在一份声明中说，该公司将继续这个诉讼，并“积极探索一切可能的途径”以保护其商业秘密。
Case Analysis
11
Shenzhen Weiyuanma Software Development Co., Ltd. v. Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
反不正当竞争典型案例：腾讯公司诉微源码公司等不正当竞争纠纷案
Docket No.:
2093, second instance (终), civil case (民), (2019) Guangdong High People's Court (粤)
Lower Court Docket No.:
773, first instance (初), civil case (民), (2017) Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court (粤03)
一审案号：（2017）粤03民初773号
二审案号：（2019）粤民终2093号
Defendant-Appellant: Shenzhen Weiyuanma Software Development Co., Ltd. ("Weiyuanma") and Business District (Shenzhen) United Development Co., Ltd. ("Business District") and Hou **.
Plaintiff-Appellee: Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. and Shenzhen Tencent Computer System Co., Ltd. (collectively referred to as "Tencent")
上诉人（原审被告）：深圳微源码软件开发有限公司（简称微源码公司）、商圈（深圳）联合发展有限公司（简称商圈公司）、侯某某
被上诉人（原审原告）：腾讯科技（深圳）有限公司、深圳市腾讯计算机系统有限公司（合称腾讯公司）
Tenent has developed the WeChat software to provide instant messaging services. Weiyuanma and the other developed and operated a "data wizard" software specializing in the modification of WeChat, so that the WeChat software on the mobile terminal was added with 13 special functions including "fixed-point forced fan addition, official account graphic reply, keyword reply, one-key like and comment, group sending to contacts, WeChat group auto-reply, fixed-point shake, WeChat group One click to add friends, WeChat group automatic promotion, multiaccount free switching, group sending to contacts, sending to WeChat group friends, and one click to forward Moments content". Tencent appealed to the court, requesting that Weiyuanma be ordered to stop its unfair competition acts, compensate for the damages, apologize and eliminate the adverse impact.
腾讯公司开发“微信”软件并提供即时通信服务。微源码公司等开发并运营专门修改正版微信的“数据精灵”软件，使手机终端的微信增加“定点暴力加粉、公众号图文回复、关键词回复、一键点赞和评论、通讯录好友群发、微信群自动回复、定点摇一摇、微信群好友一键添加、微信群自动推广、多账号自由切换、通讯录好友群发、微信群群发、朋友圈内容一键转发”十三项特殊功能。腾讯公司起诉至法院，请求判令微源码公司停止不正当竞争行为、赔偿损失、赔礼道歉和消除影响。
The court held that Weiyuanma and the other had used technical means to hinder and damage the normal operation of the WeChat products and instant messaging services legally provided by Tencent, disrupt the order of market competition, harm the legitimate rights and interests of other operators and consumers, and violate the principle of honesty and creditability and business ethics through different means such as "plugin" functions, and interfering with and free-riding data. The court found that Weiyuanma had constituted unfair competition, and thus ordered it to stop the accused acts, pay for the damages of RMB 5 million, apologize and eliminate the adverse impact.
法院认为，微源码公司等利用技术手段，通过“植入”功能、干扰和搭载数据等方式，妨碍破坏了腾讯公司合法提供的微信产品及即时通信服务的正常运行，扰乱市场竞争秩序，损害其他经营者和消费者的合法权益，违背诚实信用原则和商业道德，认定微源码公司等构成不正当竞争，遂判令其停止被诉行为、赔偿损失500万元、赔礼道歉和消除影响。
ANALYSIS
典型意义
WeChat is well-known software widely used by the public, and the acts accused in this case had a large impact on the daily life of the public. This case involves a new type of unfair competition issue on the Internet. In the face of complex technical means and network environment, the court has followed the "Internet-specific article" added after the amendment of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law to accurately evaluate and regulate the accused acts, which is conducive to purifying the market competition environment, protecting the legitimate rights and interests of operators and consumers, avoiding the public from being harassed by messages and information from unknown sources in daily life, and effectively preventing and reducing fraud, privacy leakage and other security hazards and risks.
微信软件为大众所熟知和广泛使用，本案被诉行为对社会公众日常生活影响较大。本案涉及互联网领域新类型不正当竞争问题。面对复杂的技术手段和网络环境，法院依据《反不正当竞争法》修订后新增的“互联网专条”，准确评价被诉行为并予以规制，有利于净化市场竞争环境，保护经营者和消费者的合法权益，避免公众 在日常生活中遭受陌生信息骚扰，有效防范和减少欺诈、隐私泄露等安全隐患和风险。
英文投稿及市场合作：
jane.jiang@chinaipmagazine.com
18911449529（微信同号）