Services We Can Offer

• Training related to interllectual property service  
• Patent Mining
• Patent Application Strategy and Action Plan  
• Full-Process Patent Application Services
• Drafting  
• Patent Search and Analysis  
• Patent Monitoring and Annuity Management  
• Patent Licensing, Transfer, and Negotiation  
• Patent Invalidation 
• Market Monitoring, Infringement Investigation, and Evidence Collection  
• Customs Recordal，Customs Training and Customs Seizure 
• Administrative Complaints  
• Civil Litigation 
• Administrative Litigation  
• Commercialization  

Representative Cases

Patent Reexamination and Invalidation

• Successfully handled the invalidation case of the "Automobile" design patent, which was recognized as one of the "Top 10 Patent Reexamination and Invalidation Cases of 2022" by the China National Intellectual Property Administration. 
• Successfully invalidated all design patents held by Chinese imitators on behalf of Hydrafacial LLC, providing robust support for subsequent enforcement actions.
• Successfully invalidated all design patents held by Chinese imitators on behalf of INTERCONTINENTAL GREAT BRANDS LLC, providing robust support for subsequent enforcement actions.
• Successfully invalidated all design patents of Chinese imitatorson behalf of  Newell Brands (USA),  providing strong support for subsequent enforcement actions.
• Successfully invalidated all design patents of Chinese imitators on behalf of Kohler Co. providing robust support for subsequent enforcement actions.
• Filed invalidation requests for Chinese design patents that infringed on Dow Corning's trademark rights. 

Patent Reexamination and Invalidation

• Filed customs recordals for the design patents of Kohler Co. with the General Administration of Customs to prevent the import and export of infringing products.
• Filed customs recordals for the design patents of Skechers with the General Administration of Customs to prevent the import and export of infringing products.

Takedown Requests

• Submitted takedown requests on behalf of Kohler Co. for infringing activities on e-commerce platforms, successfully removing the infringing listings.
• Submitted takedown requests on behalf of Skechers for infringing activities on e-commerce platforms, successfully removing the infringing listings.

Patent Administrative Complaints

• Attended the trade show annually on behalf of Kohler Co., successfully handling approximately 50 administrative complaints in recent years.
• Represented Illinois Tool Works Inc. in filing administrative complaints against seven domestic infringers during the Canton Fair. Our professional team conducted comprehensive investigations and evidence collection, thoroughly analyzing the infringement facts and securing them through notarization. At the Canton Fair, we submitted requests to the Guangzhou Intellectual Property Office for administrative action against the seven infringers. The Guangzhou Intellectual Property Office confirmed the infringement, ordered the immediate removal of all infringing products from the exhibition, and ensured that the infringers ceased any further violations.

Civil Litigations

• Represented an automobile manufacturer in a design patent infringement lawsuit against a competing auto company. The defendant was found to have infringed on the client’s design patent, and our legal team provided comprehensive representation throughout the litigation process. The first-instance court ruled in favor of our client, ordering the infringer to compensate for economic losses. Despite the auto company's appeal, the second-instance court upheld the original judgment, reaffirming the client’s rights and securing a favorable outcome.
• Represented Kohler Co. in initiating over 50 civil lawsuits against domestic sanitary ware infringers. Our multidisciplinary team, comprising litigation lawyers, patent agents, and investigators, provided comprehensive support, including conducting thorough investigations, gathering critical evidence, and filing lawsuits across multiple regions nationwide. Ultimately, all courts ruled in favor of Kohler, confirming the infringement, ordering the defendants to cease their infringing activities, and awarding compensation for the client’s losses.
• Represented HTC and successfully secured a victory in a design patent infringement lawsuit against a Shenzhen-based company.
• Represented Johnson & Sons, Inc. in a design patent infringement lawsuit against Ningbo Yinzhou Xiangyuan Crafts Factory. Our team conducted thorough investigations, gathered critical evidence, and filed the lawsuit in the Ningbo Intermediate People's Court. The court ruled in favor of Johnson & Sons, confirming the infringement, ordering the defendant to cease all infringing activities, and awarding compensation for the client’s losses.
• Represented Prima KFEG LLC in a series of legal actions involving invention patent infringement, design patent infringement, trademark infringement, unfair competition, and patent invalidation against Shanghai Weishun Commercial Machinery Co., Ltd. Through strategic litigation and court mediation, our team successfully secured a substantial compensation for the client.
• Represented Skechers in a design patent infringement lawsuit against a shoe manufacturer in China, successfully securing a favorable judgment for the client.
• Represented Dart Industries, Inc. in a design patent infringement lawsuit against Guangdong Baoyang Company, achieving a successful outcome with a favorable judgment for the client.

Design Mining and Layout

We assist clients in identifying protectable features within their product designs and develop tailored design patent strategies aligned with their commercial objectives and market position. By extracting design elements, analyzing product lines, and defining claim scopes, we help clients maximize coverage and build robust defensive portfolios.

Services We Can Offer

• Identify visual innovation elements and extract protectable design features;
• Develop phased filing plans aligned with product development and commercialization timelines;
• Build design protection strategies encompassing core and variant designs;
• Integrate into product R&D processes and establish creative review and reporting mechanisms;
• Provide “one-to-many” design protection strategies for key or iconic products.

Design Patent Prosecution

We offer professional design patent filing and drafting services, including drawing review, standardized view formatting, and structured expression of claims. Our goal is to ensure that each application meets the examination criteria of China and key foreign jurisdictions, enhancing the chances of successful registration. High-quality drawings are essential for successful design patent grants. We assist clients in preparing or reviewing various views (front, bottom, perspective, etc.) to ensure consistency, clarity, and examinability, in full compliance with the technical standards of each jurisdiction.

Services We Can Offer

• Prepare design patent applications in compliance with jurisdiction-specific requirements;
• Review and standardize drawings for view consistency, scale, and presentation;
• Draft claim language and descriptions to ensure clear articulation of design features;
• Respond to office actions with corrections, arguments, or reexamination requests;
• Assist companies in building internal drawing management and documentation systems.

Global Management

We plan and implement priority claims and international filings under the Paris Convention and the Hague Agreement. Whether through national phase filings under the PCT or centralized submission via the Hague system, we support parallel filings and portfolio management across multiple jurisdictions.

Services We Can Offer

• Develop stepwise international filing strategies aligned with product launch plans;
• Manage Paris Convention priority claims and Hague Agreement international registrations;
• Provide practical guidance on examination standards, protection terms, and local practices;
• Coordinate with global agent networks to manage multi-jurisdictional filings and communications;
• Offer global annuity payments, legal status monitoring, and risk alerts.

Search and Analysis

We offer end-to-end, expert-level design patent search and analysis service tailored to meet the strategic needs of leading enterprises. Our services include: prior design search and analysis, patent validity search and analysis, patent invalidation search and analysis, Freedom to Operate (FTO) analysis, and potential patent infringement analysis. Our team combines legal acumen with technical expertise to support critical decision-making in design patent prosecution, litigation, R&D strategy, licensing, and IP asset management.

Services We Can Offer

• Conduct novelty searches and prior design analysis for design patent filings;
• Provide infringement comparison, ownership investigation, and freedom-to-operate assessments;
• Monitor competitors’ new product designs and prosecution status;
• Analyze industry design trends and visual element development paths;
• Support early-stage design ideation with relevant design patent intelligence.

Reexamination & Invalidation

In response to office actions and rejections, we offer professional counter-strategies such as drawing corrections, argument preparation, and reexamination petitions to secure patentability for our clients’ design solutions during the prosecution phase.

Services We Can Offer

• Handle reexamination filings and amendments following design patent refusals;
• Analyze invalidation challenges and prepare response strategies and technical amendments;
• Prepare comparison materials and provide expert opinions on visual differences;
• File or defend against design patent invalidation petitions;
• Represent clients in administrative litigation arising from reexaminations or invalidations.

Enforcement & Litigation

We bring extensive experience in design patent enforcement and litigation, supported by a dedicated in-house investigation team that plays a critical role in identifying infringement leads and gathering evidence. Our patent dispute resolution team is comprised primarily of attorneys who are dual-qualified as both lawyers and patent attorneys, ensuring comprehensive legal and technical expertise. Each year, we handle a high volume of cases involving: Evidence collection and investigations, customs recordation, C&D Letters, Platform-based patent infringement comoplaints, Administrative enforcement actions, Administrative litigation on patent validity and rights confirmation, Civil litigation for patent infringement, Owner and entitlement disputes. We specialize in developing tailored enforcement strategies for our clients and are known for our ability to deliver optimal outcomes through well-coordinated, multi-pronged legal approaches.

Services We Can Offer

• Conduct market investigations and collect evidence of infringement for design patents;
• Provide preliminary infringement analysis and enforcement strategy recommendations;
• Issue cease-and-desist letters, file administrative complaints, and support regulatory enforcement;
• Represent clients in civil litigation concerning design patent infringement, including injunctions and damage claims;
• Assist with customs IP protection filings and combat cross-border infringements;
• Engage in enforcement negotiations, conclude settlement agreements, and respond to counterclaims or invalidation challenges.

Representative Cases

• Represented Shanxi XX Electric Power Company as the defendant in two civil lawsuits filed by Xi’an XX Company involving design patent infringement.The plaintiff claimed damages exceeding RMB 20 million. In parallel with the civil proceedings, the Zhucheng team also handled over 20 patent invalidation requests filed by the plaintiff against the defendant’s patents. We successfully defended the validity of 18 patents. Through the seamless coordination of the invalidation proceedings and the civil litigation, we secured a comprehensive victory for the defendant, with the court dismissing all of the plaintiff’s claims.
• Represented Kohler Co. in an administrative litigation case against the Patent Reexamination Board (PRB) concerning the invalidation of a design patent.We prevailed at the first instance, appellate, and retrial levels, successfully overturning the PRB’s invalidation decision and maintaining the validity of Kohler’s core design patent for an important product.
• Represented U.S.-based Skechers in a design patent infringement lawsuit against Camel.We obtained a favorable judgment on behalf of the client.

Licensing, Assignment, Commercialization

We assist clients in commercializing their design patents through strategic licensing negotiations, customized agreement drafting, pricing model development, and cross-border deployment strategies—enabling effective monetization and maximizing the global value of their design assets.

Services We Can Offer

• Design commercialization strategies for design patents including licensing, collaboration, and joint development models;
• Draft, review, and negotiate license and assignment agreements for design rights;
• Assist in evaluating design value and structuring royalty distribution mechanisms;
• Handle negotiation and settlement agreements related to design enforcement;
• Support compliant deployment of designs in brand licensing, cross-industry collaboration, and product authorization settings.