一周概览
Focus
1. Qatar joins the Madrid System
卡塔尔加入马德里体系
2. Microsoft hit with $242 million US verdict for infringing IPA patent
微软侵犯IPA专利，被判赔偿2.42亿美元
3. Turkey's competition board to fine Meta $37.2 million
土耳其竞争委员会对Meta处以3720万美元的罚款
IP Practice
4. Skyworks sues Kangxi for patent infringement, seeking injunction and triple damages
Skyworks诉康希通信专利侵权，要求获得禁令及三倍赔偿！
5. Activision hit with $23.4 mln US patent verdict
动视暴雪专利侵权，被判赔偿2340万美元
6. Volvo, Polestar joins Avanci 5G license program
沃尔沃和极星加入Avanci 5G许可项目
7. US appeals court finds no infringement by Thom Browne on adidas
美上诉法院维持原判，Thom Browne未侵权adidas
8. MediaTek fends off Realtek lawsuit claiming patent 'bounty' scheme
联发科获胜，Realtek有关专利“赏金”计划的诉讼被驳回
Focus
1
Qatar joins the Madrid System
卡塔尔加入马德里体系
The Government of Qatar deposited its instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol with WIPO on May 3, becoming the 115th Member of the Madrid System. “This accession further strengthens the Madrid System as a practical and efficient solution for protecting trademarks worldwide,” said WIPO. The Madrid Protocol will reportedly enter into force in Qatar on August 3, 2024. Since then, local brand owners in Qatar will be able to start using the Madrid system to protect their trademarks in the other territories covered. This also means that foreign businesses and individuals can seek trademark protection in Qatar through the Madrid system.
5月3日，卡塔尔政府向世界知识产权组织（WIPO）交存了《马德里议定书》的加入书，成为马德里体系的第115个成员。WIPO称：“卡塔尔的加入进一步加强了马德里体系作为保护全球商标的实用、高效解决方案的作用。”据悉，《马德里议定书》将于2024年8月3日对卡塔尔正式生效。这意味着自8月3日起，卡塔尔本地品牌所有者可以利用马德里体系在该体系覆盖区域保护其商标，也意味着外国企业和个人可以通过马德里体系在卡塔尔寻求商标保护。
2
Microsoft hit with $242 million US verdict for infringing IPA patent
微软侵犯IPA专利，被判赔偿2.42亿美元
Microsoft must pay IPA Technologies $242 million, a federal jury in Delaware said on Friday after determining that Microsoft's Cortana virtual-assistant software infringed an IPA patent. The jury agreed with IPA after a week-long trial that Microsoft's voice-recognition technology violates IPA's patent rights in computer-communications software. IPA filed the lawsuit in 2018, accusing Microsoft of infringing patents related to personal digital assistants and voice-based data navigation. The case was later narrowed to concern one IPA patent. Microsoft argued that it does not infringe and that the patent is invalid. IPA has also sued Google and Amazon over its patents. Amazon defeated IPA's lawsuit in 2021, and the Google case is still ongoing.
特拉华州联邦陪审团周五裁定，微软的Cortana虚拟助手软件侵犯了IPA Technologies的专利，须向IPA支付2.42亿美元。经过为期一周的审判，陪审团同意了IPA的观点，即微软的语音识别技术侵犯了IPA在计算机通信软件中的专利权。IPA在2018年提起诉讼，指控微软侵犯了与个人数字助理和基于语音的数据导航相关的专利。涉案专利的范围后来被缩小被缩小至仅涉及其中一项IPA专利。微软曾辩称其并未侵权，而该专利无效。据悉，IPA还对谷歌和亚马逊提起了专利诉讼。亚马逊在2021年获胜，而谷歌的案件仍在进行中。
3
Turkey's competition board to fine Meta $37.2 million
土耳其竞争委员会对Meta处以3720万美元的罚款
Turkey's competition board fined Meta Platforms 1.2 billion lira ($37.20 million) on Wednesday after concluding two separate investigations on data-sharing in its Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads platforms. The board launched an investigation into Meta in December over a possible violation of competition law by linking its social media platforms Threads and Instagram. The board in March imposed an interim measure on Meta meant to hinder data sharing between those two platforms. Meta said last month it would temporarily shut down Threads in Turkey to comply with the interim order.
土耳其竞争委员会周三对Meta平台处以12亿里拉（约合372万美元）的罚款。该裁决是委员会在结束对Facebook、Instagram、WhatsApp及Threads平台的两项独立数据共享调查后作出的。去年12月，土耳其竞争委员会对Meta展开了调查，因其将社交媒体平台 Threads 和 Instagram 相关联的行为可能违反竞争法。今年3月，该委员会对Meta采取了一项临时措施，旨在阻碍这两个平台之间的数据共享。Meta上月表示，在土耳其将暂时关闭Threads，以遵守临时命令。
IP Practice
4
Skyworks sues Kangxi for patent infringement, seeking injunction and triple damages
Skyworks诉康希通信专利侵权，要求获得禁令及三倍赔偿！
On May 6, Kangxi Communication Technologies(Shanghai) Co.,ltd. encountered two patent infringement lawsuits in the United States. Skyworks Solutions, a leading RF technology company, filed a lawsuit in the US Central District of California court against Kangxi Communication and its U.S. subsidiary GRAND CHIP LABS, INC. The lawsuit alleges that Kangxi Communication violated five of Skyworks Solutions' RF patents, identified by the U.S. patent numbers US8,717,101; US9,917,563; US9,450,579; US9,148,194; and US7,409,200. These patents primarily focus on enhancing RF signal amplification management, refining methods for RF signal processing, and improving techniques to reduce signal interference and achieve cost-effectiveness. Skyworks Solutions is seeking an injunction and triple damages.
5月6日，康希通信在美遭遇了两起专利侵权诉讼。美国射频大厂Skyworks Solutions 在加利福尼亚州中区联邦地区法院对康希通信及其美国公司GRAND CHIP LABS, INC提起诉讼，指控康希通信侵犯了其五项射频专利。五项专利的美国专利号分别为US8,717,101; US9,917,563; US9,450,579; US9,148,194及US7,409,200，主要涉及对射频信号放大的精细化管理、细化“射频信号的方法”，以及减少信号干扰并实现低成本等诸多技术问题的改进。Skyworks Solutions要求法院下达禁令，并要求获得三倍的损害赔偿。
5
Activision hit with $23.4 mln US patent verdict
动视暴雪专利侵权，被判赔偿2340万美元
A Delaware federal jury said Activision Blizzard owes $23.4 million in damages for violating patents related to multiplayer features of its hit games. The jury on Friday agreed with patent holder Acceleration Bay that aspects of the games' online multiplayer networking technology infringe two of its patents. Acceleration Bay sued Activision in 2016 over patents that it acquired from Boeing. The two patents at issue covered communications technology related to the "simultaneous sharing of information" between multiple "widely distributed" computers. Activision argued that its technology works in a different way than Acceleration Bay's patents and does not infringe them.
特拉华州的联邦陪审团裁定，动视暴雪公司多款热门游戏中的多人功能侵犯了相关专利，应支付2340万美元的损害赔偿。周五，陪审团同意专利权人Acceleration Bay的观点，认为动视暴雪公司热门游戏的在线多人联机网络技术侵犯了Acceleration Bay的两项专利。Acceleration Bay于2016年对动视暴雪公司提起诉讼，称动视暴雪侵犯了其从波音公司收购的专利。据悉，两项争议专利涵盖了与“广泛分布的”多台计算机之间的“信息同时共享”相关的通信技术。动视暴雪辩称其技术与Acceleration Bay的专利工作方式不同，不构成侵权。
6
Volvo, Polestar joins Avanci 5G license program
沃尔沃和极星加入Avanci 5G许可项目
On May 9, the president of Avanci’s vehicle licensing programs, Laurie Fitzgerald, announced on LinkedIn that Volvo and Polestar, “long-time participants in [Avanci’s] 4G Vehicle licensing program, [joined] as new 5G Vehicle licensees.” Up to now, the total number of 5G licensed brands is now 27. Avanci 5G now has licensees in all European regions where there are major car makers: from the south (SEAT) to the north (Volvo), and in the center (with all German automakers on board). Ford and General Motors, two iconic American car makers have also joined. At least one unnamed Chinese car maker has taken a bilateral SEP license from Nokia. “[This]could be a sign of increased licensing activity on the part of Chinese automotive companies that should sooner or later also be reflected on Avanci’s list of licensed brands,” said an IP analyst.
5月9日，Avanci 车辆许可计划总裁 Laurie Fitzgerald在LinkedIn上宣布，沃尔沃和极星“作为（Avanci）4G 车辆许可计划的长期参与者，加入了新的 5G 车辆许可计划。”截至目前，获得Avanci 5G许可的品牌总数达27家。Avanci 5G项目的被许可人目前包括欧洲各地的主要汽车制造商（从欧洲南部的SEAT到北部的沃尔沃，以及在中部几乎与所有德国汽车制造商都有合作）。在北美，两个标志性的美国汽车制造商福特和通用汽车也已加入。在中国，至少有一家未透露姓名的中国汽车制造商已从诺基亚获得了双边标准必要专利许可。分析人士称，这可能是中国汽车公司增加许可活动的迹象，这种情况迟早也会反映在Avanci的许可列表上。
7
US appeals court finds no infringement by Thom Browne on adidas
美上诉法院维持原判，Thom Browne未侵权adidas
In the ongoing trademark infringement case between adidas and Thom Browne, there have been recent developments. Last Friday, a 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision of a lower court, ruling that Thom Browne's "four-stripe" design did not violate adidas' "three-stripe" trademark. The initial ruling was handed down in January of the previous year at the Southern US District Court of Manhattan. However, in October of the same year, adidas uncovered four previously undisclosed internal emails from Thom Browne during the trial. These emails indicated that Thom Browne had instructed its designers between 2016 and 2019 not to incorporate stripe designs in their collections to avoid any potential confusion with adidas. Citing these emails, adidas argued for a retrial of the entire case, asserting Thom Browne's awareness of possible infringement. Nevertheless, last Friday, the U.S. Appeals Court dismissed adidas' argument, affirming the lower court's decision.
adidas与Thom Browne的商标侵权案迎来了进一步进展。美国联邦第二巡回上诉法院上周五维持了地方法院的判决，即Thom Browne的“四条纹”设计并未侵犯 adidas 的“三条纹”商标。据悉，原判决于去年一月于曼哈顿南区法院裁定。然而，去年十月，adidas 发现Thom Browne在初审期间有四封未被披露的公司内部电子邮件，该邮件表明Thom Browne曾在 2016 年至2019年间要求旗下设计师不应在系列中使用条纹设计，以避免与 adidas产生混肴。adidas方认为，这些邮件证明了Thom Browne也认为条纹设计有侵权的可能，故要求全案重审。上周五，美国上诉法院确认了下级法院的判决，并表示adidas的论点毫无根据。
8
MediaTek fends off Realtek lawsuit claiming patent 'bounty' scheme
联发科获胜，Realtek有关专利“赏金”计划的诉讼被驳回
Chipmaker MediaTek has convinced a California federal court to reject a lawsuit accusing it of illegally partnering with a patent owner to file meritless lawsuits to drive rival Realtek out of the market for smart television chips. US District Judge Casey Pitts said on Friday that Realtek's antitrust claims against MediaTek and alleged patent-assertion entity IPValue were blocked by a doctrine that protects free-speech rights under the US Constitution. Pitts gave Realtek permission to amend and refile the lawsuit. Realtek accused MediaTek last year of paying IPValue a "secret litigation bounty" to file meritless patent-infringement lawsuits in the United States and disrupt Realtek's competing business. It accused MediaTek of violating antitrust law by trying to drive Realtek out of the market and monopolize the television chip industry.
芯片制造商联发科已说服加州一家联邦法院驳回一项诉讼，该诉讼指控联发科与一家专利所有者非法合作，提起毫无根据的诉讼，试图将竞争对手Realtek赶出智能电视芯片市场。美国联邦法官Casey Pitts周五表示，Realtek对联发科和专利主张实体IPValue的反垄断指控被一项根据美国宪法保护言论自由权利的原则所阻止。Pitts 允许 Realtek 修改并重新提起诉讼。Realtek去年指控联发科向 IPValue 支付了一笔“秘密诉讼赏金”，在美国提起毫无根据的侵权诉讼，以干扰 Realtek的竞争业务。Realtek指责联发科试图通过驱逐 Realtek 出局并垄断电视芯片行业，违反了反垄断法。 |