​Xinwu district judges show support for IP protection

Wuxi's IoT industry has gone from strength to strength since China's State Council approved the building of a national-level innovative demonstration zone for sensor networks in the city.

But local IoT firms have encountered difficulties in protecting their innovations, with many of them turning to the law for help in recent years.

World Sensing Net Group (WSN), a leading local IoT firm in China, sued Dingkun E-commerce Co in April this year because the latter used WSN's "sensing (感知)" brand name.

Xinwu District Peoples' Court ruled that Dingkun should immediately cease using "sensing" in its name and register to change its brand name.

But it isn't just brand names that need protection; companies' IP needs protecting too. Liu Haitao, president of WSN, said that it is vital for tech innovators to have their intellectual property properly protected.

Without it, innovation in the IoT industries is likely to be damaged in China, he added.

Zhuang Baosen, deputy director of the public services department of Wuxi IoT Innovation Promotion Center Co Ltd, said that firms need legal advice not only on IP protection but also on signing contracts, human resources management and a number of other areas.

Dai Hongfeng, presiding judge of the intellectual property adjudication division of Xinwu District People's Court, said the court would provide a full range of services to help protect intellectual property.

Dai Hongfeng, presiding judge of the intellectual property adjudication division of Xinwu District People's Court, is interviewed by the press outside Jiangsu Research and Development Center of Internet of Things, Nov 19. [Photo by Wang Ying/chinadaily.com.cn]

The judiciary plans to offer legal advice targeted at the potential risks which firms might face as they develop, while working to develop a comprehensive IP protection system, including publishing manuals to help firms in Xinwu District better protect their IP.

"We will invite scholars and experts to conduct research on IP protection and provide advice to IoT industries. We will endeavor to protect innovations and help build an orderly business environment," said Dai, presiding judge of the court's IP division.

To know more about IoT IP protection, click on the links:

Wuxi court rules on first IoT intellectual property case

WSN, Venustech sign IoT security ecosystem co-op agreement