Deyang Municipal Intellectual Property Office transferred one patent infringement case to Mianyang Municipal Intellectual Property Office, which was the first case transferred since the implementation of Collaboration Protocol within Eight Cities in Sichuan on Patent Administrative Law Enforcement.

Mr. Ma, a patentee in Deyang District, found a company located in Mianyang City infringing his patents. Mr. Ma submitted a mediation request to Deyang IP Office. Though Deyang IP Office lacked jurisdiction in an area outside Deyang City, it could still accept the request according to the Collaboration Protocol, which greatly facilitated right holders to protect their legal rights.

The Collaboration Protocol was signed on May 19,2009 by Deyang City and other cities in northern Sichuan. It aimed at optimizing investment environment, promoting the collaboration on patent law enforcement, integrating patent administrative law enforcement resources and reducing the safeguard cost for patentees. Since its implementation, contracting parties have held a series of collaboration and communication activities. By sharing information resources and together improving law enforcement capacity and level, contracting cities brought into play the role of the collaboration mechanism.

Source:IPR in China