On the afternoon of May 4 (London local time), Nathan YANG, Senior Partner of NTD IP Attorneys, was invited to speak at the "Chinese Case Law Update" session, a key event of China Day at the INTA 2026 Annual Meeting. Focusing on the theme of "Relative Grounds and Bad-Faith Squatting", he systematically reviewed the latest judicial practices concerning the recognition of well-known trademarks, cross-class protection, judicial resolution of prior rights conflicts, and the fight against bad-faith squatting. He noted that when handling relative grounds cases, Chinese courts not only pay attention to the similarity of marks but also further strengthen the protection of well-known trademarks and the recognition of diverse prior rights, thereby rigorously combating bad-faith squatting and effectively protecting the legitimate rights and interests of bona fide rights holders.
The session was moderated by Hui HUANG, Partner of Wanhuida Intellectual Property. Other distinguished panelists included: Helen XIA (Hogan Lovells), Xiaomeng DONG (Han Kun Law Offices), Fang HE (King & Wood Mallesons), and Tracy SHEN (Chang Tsi & Partners). Nathan YANG as well as these leading Chinese trademark law experts, together shared several interesting trends highlighted by Chinese case decisions:
• Overcoming practical difficulties arising from stricter absolute‑grounds examination and malicious litigation, and improving remedies for rights holders;
• New developments in protecting non‑traditional brand elements in emerging technology fields such as extended reality (XR), wearable devices, and AI platforms – supporting brand building in innovative industries;
• Comprehensive strategies against imitation and passing‑off, exploring optimal approaches to trade dress protection through the standalone or combined application of design patents, copyright, and anti‑unfair competition law;
• More sophisticated calculation of damages, clarification of litigation strategies in criminal collateral civil proceedings, and strengthened judicial protection of IP rights.
(Third from right: Nathan YANG, Senior Partner of NTD IP Attorneys)
Nathan’s participation at the INTA Annual Meeting – a premier global IP stage – not only demonstrates his individual professional excellence but also underscores NTD’s deep expertise and forward‑looking vision in the IP field. As a major player in China’s IP legal services, NTD is committed to integrating local practical experience into the global IP governance system, helping Chinese enterprises go global with confidence and assisting international brands in establishing a strong foothold in China. Looking ahead, NTD will continue to uphold the philosophy of “Professionalism as Foundation, Clients First”, amplify China’s voice on the international stage, and contribute professional strength to the collaborative development of the global IP ecosystem.
Nathan YANG
Senior Partner
Attorney-at-law
Trademark Attorney
Nathan Yang graduated from the University of International Business and Economy with a Master of Law in 2008, and then joined NTD to engage in intellectual property legal services. Later, he went to Chicago-Kent College of Law and earned LLM degree.
Mr. Yang focuses on Trademark, anti-unfair competition, copyright, litigation and administrative enforcement, arbitration, investigation, customs detention, contract and negotiation, domain name dispute resolution, enterprise IP strategy and general legal consultancy.
The cases represented by Mr. Yang have successively won such honors as the Top 10 Typical Intellectual Property Cases in Servicing and Safeguarding High-Quality Development of Technological Innovation (2022-2025) by Hangzhou Court, 2024 Typical Intellectual Property Cases by Shenzhen Court, 2024 Typical Anti-Unfair Competition Cases for "Maintaining Fair Competition and Optimizing the Business Environment" by Shenzhen Court, 2022-2023 Typical Trademark Cases by China Trademark Association, 2021 Top 10 Trademark Litigation Cases by Beijing Trademark Association, 2021 Best International Legal Service Cases by Beijing Bar Association. He was selected as 2024-2026 Chambers and Partners ranked lawyer for “Intellectual Property: Litigation” in Greater China Region, Lexology Index: IP 2025 report: Trademarks Recommended Individual, 2025 INTA Rising Star, 2022-2025 WTR 1000 Recommended Individual, WIPR Insights Trademarks Rankings 2023-2025 (China) Highly Recommended Individual on Contentious field, 2025 Beijing Trademark Association 30th Anniversary Celebration: Leading Figure in Trademark Legal Services.
Mr. Yang has been interviewed by NPR about Trump's trademark protection in China, and by CCTV2 and CNR about bad faith filings and geographical indication protection.
