Introduction China has completed the most consequential rewrite of its Trademark Law in over a decade. On June 26, 2026, the 23rd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Fourteenth National People's Congress adopted a comprehensive revision of the Trademark Law of the People's Republic of China — the fifth amendment since the law was first enacted in 1982, and the first substantive overhaul since the narrow 2019 revision. The revised law, comprising 87 articles across nine chapters (up from 73 articles in eight chapters under the outgoing law), will enter into force on January 1, 2027. Trademarks registered before that date remain valid. For brand owners, in-house counsel, and IP practitioners with China exposure, this is not a routine update. The revision touches registration standards, opposition timelines, well-known mark protection, damages calculations, and — perhaps most significantly — the treatment of bad-faith and speculative filings that have long troubled foreig...
India Releases Comprehensive Concept Note on Proposed Amendments to the Designs Act, 2000: Paradigm Shift Toward Digital Innovation and International Integration
Summary The Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks has published a comprehensive Concept Note outlining transformative amendments to the Designs Act, 2000. The proposed reforms introduce groundbreaking protection for non-tangible design forms including GUIs, virtual reality interfaces, and animations; clarify the design-copyright interface to prevent perpetual monopolies; establish a full 12-month grace period for all types of disclosures; enable deferred publication aligned with the Hague Agreement; introduce statutory damages up to ₹50 lakhs for willful infringement; restructure protection terms to a 5+5+5 system; permit multiple designs in single applications; enable divisional applications; and incorporate comprehensive provisions for international registration under the Hague Agreement, positioning India as a global hub for design innovation. Overview: A New Era for Indian Design Protection The Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks has released...