How Mobile Game Protects its Intellectual Property Right?

捕鱼达人

(By You Yunting) Recently stock markets have heightened topics about mobile game and serious competition disputes of intellectual property rights (the “IPR”) between China mobile games enterprises are often appeared in the newspapers. According to the reports, Beijing Chukong Inc., the developer of popular “捕鱼达人”(Fishing Joy) mobile games, was engaged in a controversy of IRP because earlier in December the Guangzhou-based SEALY Technology suspected Beijing Chukong Inc.’s “捕鱼达人”(Fishing Joy) of plagiarism on its arcade game product “捕鱼达人”. In response, Beijing Chukong Inc. alleged that: first, the online time of its “捕鱼达人”(Fishing Joy) was earlier than that of SEALY Technology and its mobile game had been reported to the Ministry of Culture. Second, Beijing Chukong Inc. owns the “捕鱼达人”trademark. Third, there are significant differences in art images and playing methods between two products.

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MOC Issues New Censorship Regulation on Online Game and Online Music

(By You Yunting) Pursuant to the Implementing the Administrative Measures for Content Self-review of Network Culture Operators that came into effect on December 1, 2013, an Internet entity holding an Internet Culture Business License may be entitled to self-examine the contents of online game and online music but the operators of said internet entity need to attend a content self-review training hosted by the Ministry of Culture.

The specific contents are as follows:

1.      Licensed Scope of Business:

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Can “屌丝” Serve as a Trademark or Online Game Name in China?

(By You Yunting) Recently, Mr. Shi Yuzhu, the senior executive of Giant Inc. has once again entered the flurry of public opinion. The main reason is that he claimed on his Weibo that the company has applied for 屌丝 as a trademark, and he also joked that anyone using the term must pay the company one yuan. (屌丝 (diaosi) means pubic hair in Chinese, but it has been used on the internet to popularly refer to losers). Curious about Mr. Shi’s words, the author checked the Trademark Office’s database for the application for 屌丝 in classes concerning online games. Perhaps because the application was filed recently, there is no indication of Giant Inc.’s application in the database. But, the author also found that Giant’s opponent, Suzhou Woniu Company, has applied for the trademark 屌丝侠 in Classes 9, 38, 41, and 42 on May of 2012, and all of these application are related to online games.

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MOC: Data of IP Infringement Law Enforcement of this 1st Quarter in China

By You Yunting

The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) reported on 12th the latest progress of the combat against the IPR infringement and knockoff production in 2012 in China. And today’s post is mainly about part of the data released on the conference.

By the preliminary statistics, during this January to April, the commerce law enforcement departments nationwide have investigated and punished those involved in 78,773 cases of intellectual property rights (IPR) infringement and counterfeits, with the money involved of 1, 810 million yuan, 44,371 settled , 1, 016 transferred to the judicial organ and 4,065 dens for counterfeit manufacture are smashed. Also during the period, the public security department investigated 7, 140 cases of infringement and counterfeits, with 9, 305 suspects were arrested and 161. 1 million yuan is involved. During January to April, the procuratorate approved the arrestment in 1, 743 infringement or counterfeits cases and on 3, 289 individuals, and prosecuted 2, 516 cases and 4, 870 individuals. And also in the same period, 2, 586 criminal cases relating to the IPR infringement and counterfeits are filed in the courts throughout the nation, 2, 021 were settled and 3, 170 individuals are covered by the effective sentences.

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