Statistics showed that a total of 16,227 cases related to administrative enforcement for patent were handled in China in 2013, an increase of 79.9% as compared with that of 2012. Among all the cases, 5,056 were disputes relating to patent (4684 of which were related to patent infringement); and 11,171 were cases relating to passing-off of patents.
Of the 4,684 patent infringement cases, 362 were foreign-related cases, accounting for 7.7%, a slight increase compared to the year of 2012.
Of all the 5,056 patent disputes cases, 562 cases were related to patents for inventions, accounting for 11.1%, 1,665 for patents for utility models and 2,829 for patents for industrial designs. This means that a large number of cases were related to utility model and design in China. Due to the non-substantive examination for applications of utility model and design, it has become a quick and efficient approach for these patent disputes to be handled through administrative agencies.
