New draft Patent Law released

Amendments in a new draft of the revised Patent Law focus on increased protection, patent commercialization and administrative services, said a senior official at the State Intellectual Property Office.

The new draft addresses challenges in legal protection, such as difficulties in collecting evidence, insufficient compensation and high costs, Song Jianhua, director of SIPO's Law and Treaty Department, said at an IP forum on April 20.

Courts can order suspects to provide financial records and other evidence if rights owners have already made failed efforts to access them, according to the draft.

"We also suggested punitive damages, about two to three times compensation, in the case of malicious infringements," Song said.

The amended draft also has added regulations about online counterfeit cases. Amid a period of booming e-commerce, Internet service providers need to shoulder obligations to prevent and control illegal dealings online, she said.