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A figure slips a glowing cube from an office glass cabinet into a backpack as footprints glow behind: trade secrets in China
08 November 2026
原创

China Trade Secrets: Employee Access to Source Code Is No Defence to Taking It

Many trade secret claims in China run into the same defence: the employee was entitled to access the code, so taking it was not wrongful. On 5 November 2026 the Intellectual Property Court of the Supreme People's Court published a case summary that rejects that reasoning (our report: China: Code Access No Defence in Trade Secret Case). Access rights do not make every way of obtaining and handling a secret legitimate. For foreign technology companies with development teams in China, the case is also a checklist of the evidence that wins. It is general information; a specific case needs professional advice.

A shopper compares two near-identical potted cacti through a magnifying glass: trademark similarity in China
08 November 2026
原创

Similar Trademarks in China: How CNIPA Decides, and How to Check Before You File

The most common ground for refusing a trademark application in China is a conflict with an earlier mark. Foreign brand owners are often surprised by what CNIPA treats as similar: a Chinese name that means the same as an earlier English mark, a three-character name that differs by one character, or an earlier mark with a descriptive word added. This guide explains how CNIPA compares marks, which situations usually count as similar, how to check before filing and where the arguments are if you are refused. For the full filing route, see Registering a trademark in mainland China as a foreign applicant. It is general information; a specific case needs professional advice.

An oval wooden table in a meeting room with empty chairs on both sides, a dish of white capsules and a small plant
08 November 2026
Patent Examination, Biopharmaceuticals

EPO and Generics Industry Discuss Patent Quality

The European Patent Office (EPO) announced on 6 November that it hosted a workshop on patent quality with Medicines for Europe, the association of Europe's generic, biosimilar and value-added medicines industries, in Munich on 28 October. The two first met bilaterally in 2025, and the EPO described the workshop as a further step towards a structured dialogue on issues affecting the medicines sector and the patent grant process.

Participants exchanged views on patent quality and harmonisation, divisional applications and the treatment of third-party observations.

A row of wooden pigeonhole mailboxes on a front desk, a brass key on a hook and one envelope in a central slot
08 November 2026
United Kingdom, Patent Examination

UK One IPO Guide: Key Account Settings for Firms

If an attorney firm files through the UK's new patents service without assigning the right representative, the patent will not appear in the firm's account and the filing receipt will be delayed. That is how the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) puts it in its detailed guide to the new patents service (One IPO). The guide was last updated on 6 November, to state that patents must be renewed online through the IP account and that the old renewals service now accepts only trade marks and registered designs.

A roll of silver metal foil unwinding into a finely perforated mask sheet, beside a small box of sample strips
08 November 2026
European Union, Enforcement and Litigation

UPC Bars Zapp Foils in DNP OLED Mask Patent Case

The Düsseldorf Local Division of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) ruled at first instance on 5 November that "Zapp SuperClean INVAR 36" metal foils (25 µm and 30 µm thick) sold by Zapp AG and Zapp Precision Metals GmbH of Germany literally infringe claim 1 of Dai Nippon Printing's (DNP) European patent EP 3 805 415. It dismissed Zapp's counterclaim for revocation and maintained the patent as granted. The cases are UPC_CFI_466/2025 and UPC_CFI_869/2025, heard in German.

The patent covers an iron-nickel metal plate for making the deposition masks used in OLED display production.

A cardboard VR viewer on a wooden bench next to a small box with a round side button, for a VR viewer patent case
08 November 2026
United States, Enforcement and Litigation

Google Loses Appeal Over DDC VR Viewer Patents

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) issued a precedential decision on 5 November in Google LLC v DDC Technology, LLC (Nos. 2025-1315, -1316 and -1330), affirming three final written decisions of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB): Google failed to prove the remaining challenged claims of three DDC virtual reality (VR) viewer patents unpatentable as obvious.

The patents, US 9,420,075, 10,528,199 and 11,093,001, share one specification and cover a VR viewer that holds an ordinary smartphone: the user works an input mechanism from outside the housing, and the mechanism touches the screen so the phone registers a touch.

A chessboard table in a corridor with two empty chairs and the pieces packed into two open wooden boxes, for UPC withdrawals
08 November 2026
European Union, Enforcement and Litigation

UPC Mannheim Closes ZTE and Samsung Patent Suits

The Mannheim Local Division of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) issued two decisions on 6 November permitting ZTE and Samsung to withdraw the patent infringement actions they had brought against each other, together with the defendants' counterclaims for revocation, and declaring the proceedings closed. Both decisions rest on Rule 265 of the Rules of Procedure and the parties' mutual agreement.