On June 30, the seminar titled "IP Escort | Corporate Overseas IP Risk Control and Dispute Response," hosted by Kangxin Partners P.C., organized by Beijing Kangrui Law Firm, and supported by the International Trademark Association (INTA), was successfully held at the Shenzhen Marriott Hotel Nanshan. Enterprise representatives, in-house counsels, and intellectual property practitioners from the Pearl River Delta region gathered at the event to jointly explore risk control strategies and practical paths for Chinese enterprises expanding overseas under the changing landscape of European and American patent policies.
Attorney Guiming (Gary) Wu provided an in-depth review of the case where the Tulip patent pool sued Sunwoda. Tulip utilized Germany's "bifurcation" system (separation of infringement and invalidity proceedings) and patents such as EP1829139B1 (featuring the "inter-particle gap" characteristic of separators) to obtain a preliminary injunction, forming a closed loop of "litigation-settlement-licensing." In response to such harassment by NPEs (Non-Practicing Entities), he suggested that enterprises should immediately conduct FTO (Freedom to Operate) clearances, reserve evidence for invalidation, utilize the EPO (European Patent Office) opposition procedure (the 9-month post-grant window) and invalidation lawsuits in member state courts to build counter-claim leverage, and resolve risks through technical circumvention.
During the interactive Q&A session, Mr. Wu engaged in profound discussions with clients regarding the bottlenecks of overseas IP enforcement. Attendees widely expressed that the seminar provided a progressive framework covering policy analysis, legal application, and corporate internal controls, offering a clear methodology and practical guidance for enterprises to establish an overseas IP "moat."
Looking ahead, Kangrui will continue to focus on the pain points of enterprises expanding globally. By providing comprehensive risk control strategies ranging from policy interpretation to dispute resolution, Kangrui aims to help Chinese enterprises build robust overseas IP "moats" and safeguard their journey toward globalization.