Cargill withdraws case

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) permitted US company Cargill Inc to withdraw its patent infringement case against Nantong Foreign Trade Medicines & Health Products Co Ltd of China, marking a victory for the Chinese company.

The investigation was based on a complaint filed by Cargill on Jan 28, alleging that the importation and sales of certain non-shellfish derived glucosamine and other products of Nantong Medicines infringed on a patent owned by Cargill.

The complainant requested that the ITC issue an exclusion order and a "cease and desist" order.

Respondent Nantong Medicines brought 300 sets of materials and 12 boxes of files to challenge the complainant. The evidence forced Cargill to withdraw the case.

Patent alliance grows

Since its formation two years ago, the Shunde Patent Alliance of Electric Pressure Ovens has doubled its membership, according to a recent corporate patent conference.

In October 2006, Midea and three other companies formed the alliance in the Shunde district of Foshan in Guangdong province.

Initially there were four members, and now there are seven. The alliance's patents grew from 46 to 195, accounting for 20 percent of all domestic patents in the industry.

Resin Systems patent

Resin Systems Inc (RS), a technology innovator and manufacturer of advanced composite products for infrastructure markets, announced that its RStandard modular composite poles are now patented in China.

This patent supports the company's broader commercial strategy of protecting its unique technology in one of the world's larger economies and fastest-growing electric power grids.

As the application of RS's modular pole technology broadens, this patent, granted by the State Intellectual Property Office of China, ensures a secure entry for RStandard poles into the Chinese utility and communications markets, the company said.

About European patents

To enhance understanding of the European patent system, China's State Intellectual Property Office and European Patent Office (EPO) recently held a seminar on the European patent system in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province.

EPO representatives said they hope more Chinese inventors apply for patents in Europe to better safeguard intellectual property rights in the overseas market.

According to the agency, online applications for patents can be made from China via the agency's EPOLINE network.

IPR and Tibet

The State Intellectual Property Office and Intellectual Property Office of Tibet autonomous region held a workshop for Tibetan medical companies on patent use and the advantage of cultivating intellectual property rights (IPR) in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

The workshop in Llasa discussed how TCM and the Tibetan medicine industry bring benefits to ordinary people and enable the development of traditional knowledge-based industries.

Organizers said the workshop would help increase awareness of IPR concerning TCM and Tibetan medicine and make it easier to apply for patents in those fields.

Another Microsoft case

Microsoft Corp has taken legal action against three Shanghai companies over allegations of software piracy.

The case represents another example of the US software giant widening its net to challenge not only IT giants, but also small businesses.

Representatives of computer retailer Shanghai Changfeng Information Technology Co Ltd and its suppliers recently faced Microsoft attorneys in Shanghai No 2 Intermediate People's Court.

Microsoft is seeking about 320,000 yuan in compensation from retailer Changfeng Information Technology and two of its computer suppliers, Shanghai Chenyue Information Technology Co Ltd and Shanghai Ziyue Network Technology Co Ltd.

Microsoft told the court that Changfeng Information Technology had long installed pirated software in computers before selling them.

A ruling has not yet been issued.

(Source: China Daily)