China leads AI patents race;Samsung and DT Mobile settle dispute

On June 29, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) announced on its official website that the CNIPA has reached agreements with its counterparts in Iceland and Egypt to extend their Patent Prosecution Highway(PPH) pilot programs for five years each, from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2029. CNIPA said the move is to continue offering efficient and convenient patent examination services to applicants. PPH is a fast track linking patent examination duties of different countries or regions, allowing patent examination authorities to share their work to speed up patent examination. Since initiating the first PPH pilot program in November 2011, the CNIPA has built PPH ties with patent examination authorities of 32 countries or regions.

6月29日，国家知识产权局在其官网发布公告称，为继续给申请人提供高效便捷的专利审查高速路（PPH）服务，国家知识产权局分别与冰岛知识产权局、埃及专利局就PPH试点项目再延长达成一致，两项专利审查高速路试点项目均自2024年7月1日起再延长五年，至2029年6月30日止。PPH是不同国家或地区间的专利快速审查通道，通过专利审查机构之间的工作共享加快专利审查进程。自2011年11月启动首项PPH试点至今，国家知识产权局已经先后与32个国家或地区的专利审查机构建立了PPH合作。

A Moroccan appeals court upheld on Wednesday a ruling ordering Maroc Telecom, the largest telecommunications network operator in the country, to pay a compensation of 6.3 billion dirhams ($630 million) to its competitor Inwi, for unfair competition practices. Inwi, the third-largest telecom operator in the country, brought the case in 2021, accusing Maroc Telecom of abusing its dominant position in the market. The fine, exceeding Maroc Telecom's 2023 profit of 6.1 billion dirhams, could significantly impact the company's financial health. In 2020, Morocco's telecom regulator fined Maroc Telecom 3.3 billion dirhams for abusing its dominant position in the market by hindering competitors' access to unbundling on its network and the fixed market.

摩洛哥上诉法院周三确认了下级法院的一项裁决，裁定摩洛哥最大的电信网络运营商Maroc Telecom因不正当竞争行为须向其竞争对手Inwi支付63亿迪拉姆（约合6.3亿美元）的赔偿金。Inwi是摩洛哥第三大电信运营商，Inwi于2021年提起诉讼，指控Maroc Telecom滥用其市场支配地位。据悉，该罚款金额超过了Maroc Telecom在2023年61亿迪拉姆的利润，将对该公司的财务状况造成重大影响。报道称，2020年，摩洛哥电信监管机构就因Maroc Telecom滥用其市场支配地位、阻碍竞争对手获取其网络和固定市场的共享接入而对其处以33亿迪拉姆的罚款。

According to news released on July 2, Samsung Electronics and DT Mobile have reached a settlement regarding their patent dispute. The two companies submitted a joint stipulation of dismissal to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, which has officially terminated all related litigation. The dispute between Samsung and DT Mobile began in 2023 when DT Mobile filed lawsuits in China and Germany, accusing Samsung of patent infringement. In response, Samsung filed a countersuit in the United States, seeking to invalidate DT Mobile's patents. In April 2024, the Munich Regional Court in Germany ruled that Samsung had infringed on DT Mobile's standard essential patents and granted an injunction request from DT Mobile. The ruling required Samsung to pay compensation for nearly all smartphones sold in Germany since August 21, 2021, and to destroy the relevant models in the market. The latest news indicates that both parties have now settled, ending the global litigation.

7月2日消息，三星电子与大唐移动就专利纠纷达成和解。据悉，两家公司已向美国弗吉尼亚州东区联邦地区法院提交了联合撤案协议书，所有相关诉讼已正式终止。三星与大唐移动的纠纷始于2023年。大唐移动在中国及德国法院对三星提起诉讼，指控三星侵犯了其发明专利权。作为回应，三星在美国提起了反诉，要求宣告大唐移动的专利无效。2024年4月，德国慕尼黑地区法院做判决，裁定三星侵犯了大唐移动的标准必要专利，并支持了大唐移动的禁令请求。根据判决，三星需要为其自2021年8月21日起在德国销售的几乎所有智能手机支付赔偿，并销毁市场上流通的相关型号。本周最新消息显示，双方已达成和解，结束了这场全球范围内的诉讼。

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DT Mobile patents triumph over Samsung challenges

Roche has sued Stanford University and medical technology startup Foresight Diagnostics in California federal court, claiming Foresight misused its genetic-sequencing trade secrets to develop competing cancer-detection products. Roche said in the complaint filed on Monday that Stanford University professors Maximilian Diehn and Ash Alizadeh, whose technology Roche acquired in 2015, secretly created Foresight while working as Roche consultants and stole its technology to use in their new business. Roche requested an unspecified amount of money damages and also asked the court to force Stanford and Foresight to hand over patent applications that allegedly cover Roche's technology.

本周一，罗氏公司在加利福尼亚联邦地区法院起诉了斯坦福大学和医疗技术初创公司Foresight Diagnostics，声称Foresight滥用了其基因测序商业秘密以开发与其竞争的癌症检测产品。罗氏公司在起诉书中称，其于2015年收购了斯坦福大学教授Maximilian Diehn和Ash Alizadeh开发的技术。但两位教授于在罗氏公司担任顾问期间秘密创建了Foresight公司，并窃取了其技术用于该新公司。罗氏公司要求赔偿未明确数额的金钱损失，并要求法院强制斯坦福大学和Foresight交出据称涵盖罗氏公司技术的专利申请。

Nike and Japanese fashion brand A Bathing Ape (BAPE) have settled a trademark infringement lawsuit over BAPE’s alleged infringement of some of Nike’s most iconic sneaker designs. The settlement requires BAPE to discontinue some of its sneakers and redesign others. Nike filed its trademark infringement suit against BAPE in early 2023. In response to the lawsuit, BAPE filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that Nike failed to adequately identify the elements of its sneaker trade dress designs that it accused BAPE of infringing upon. However, the judge denied the motion. BAPE then attempted to cancel Nike’s trade dress registrations in the court. However, before the court could issue a decision, Nike and BAPE settled the lawsuit.

耐克和日本时尚品牌A Bathing Ape（BAPE）就BAPE被指控侵犯耐克一些最具标志性的运动鞋设计达成了和解协议。根据和解协议，BAPE将停止生产部分款式的运动鞋，并重新设计其他鞋款。耐克于2023 年初对BAPE提起了商标侵权诉讼。针对该诉讼，BAPE提出了动议，要求驳回该诉讼。BAPE称，耐克未能充分明确其指控BAPE侵权的运动鞋外观设计元素。但该动议被法官驳回。BAPE随后试图使法院取消耐克的外观设计注册。然而，在法院做出裁决之前，耐克和BAPE选择和解了这起诉讼。

According to news released on June 28, TikTok recently filed to trademark the name “Genie” for an AI chatbot software as the viral video app looks to expand its offerings in the competitive tech landscape. According to the US Patent and Trademark Office filing in May, the chatbot will, among other functions, simulate conversations, facilitate interaction and communication between humans and AI, and produce human-like speech and text. TikTok is known for its impressive AI-powered algorithm, and the company has also been working on generative AI tools. The company was also using OpenAI’s code to develop its own large language models. Earlier last month, TikTok unveiled new AI capabilities for its ad services, like digital avatars and AI dubbing. But the recent trademark filing appears to go a step further, indicating that it’s working on a full-fledged chatbot that goes beyond search recommendations in the US.

6月28日消息，TikTok近日申请了“Genie”商标，用于其人工智能聊天机器人软件，以扩展其在竞争激烈的科技领域中的产品。根据美国专利商标局5月份的申请文件，该聊天机器人除了其他功能外，还将模拟对话、促进人类与AI之间的互动和交流，并生成类似人类的语音和文本。TikTok以其强大的AI驱动算法闻名，公司也一直在开发生成式AI工具。该公司还使用 OpenAI 的代码来开发自己的大型语言模型。上月早些时候，TikTok还为其广告服务推出了新的AI功能，例如数字头像和AI配音。但TikTok此次的商标申请似乎更进一步，表明其正在开发一款成熟全面的聊天机器人，而不仅限于在美国的搜索推荐功能。