Services We Can Offer

• Training related to Design service  
• Design Mining
• Design Application Strategy and Action Plan  
• Full-Process Design Application Services
• Drafting  
• Design Search and Analysis  
• Design Monitoring and Annuity Management  
• Design Licensing, Transfer, and Negotiation  
• Design 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

• Represented Human Horizons in the "Automobile" design patent invalidation case arising from its cross-border IP litigation series with Renault; the case was selected by the CNIPA as one of the Top 10 Patent Reexamination and Invalidation Cases of 2022.
• Represented Human Horizons in the administrative litigation concerning the validity of the "Automobile" design patent; the final judgment was included in the Supreme People's Court Intellectual Property Court's Summary of Adjudication Points (2024).
• Successfully invalidated multiple design patents of Chinese imitators on behalf of a multinational client, strongly supporting the client's subsequent enforcement actions.
• Filed invalidation requests against design patents held by Chinese imitators for an international hotel chain, achieving 100% success.
• Assisted a foreign enterprise in invalidating competitors' design patents in China, clearing the way for infringement enforcement.
• In a design patent infringement litigation for a renowned international sanitaryware brand, successfully invalidated the counterclaimed patents, facilitating smooth progress of the lawsuit.
• Filed design patent invalidation requests on behalf of a multinational client to protect trademark rights and safeguard brand interests. 

Customs Recordal

• Assisted a multinational client in recording design patents with Chinese customs, effectively preventing the import and export of infringing products.
• Completed customs patent recordal for an international enterprise, blocking the circulation of infringing goods.

Online Complaints

• Represented a Fortune 500 company to file online infringement complaints, successfully removing infringing products from platforms.
• Filed online infringement complaints for an international enterprise, resulting in the removal of infringing products.

Patent Administrative Complaints

• Represented a well-known landscaping tools brand in administrative complaints against multiple infringing companies at the Nanjing and Dongguan Intellectual Property Bureaus, obtaining favorable rulings and quickly stopping infringement.
• Filed administrative complaints on behalf of a Fortune 500 company against multiple infringing enterprises at industry exhibitions, successfully removing infringing products.
• During the Canton Fair, assisted a multinational client in administrative enforcement against multiple infringers, achieving removal of infringing products.

Civil Litigations

• Represented an automotive company in a design patent infringement lawsuit, winning both first and second instance judgments.
• Represented a leading sanitaryware brand in a design patent infringement case; the Shenyang Intermediate People's Court found infringement and awarded substantial damages. Interim property preservation was applied, and compensation was successfully collected.
• Filed multiple design patent infringement lawsuits for a top sanitaryware brand, securing victories; several cases were recognized as typical cases of the year by the Zhongshan, Wenzhou, and Shenyang courts.
• Represented a Fortune 500 client in design patent infringement litigation; under court facilitation, both parties reached a comprehensive settlement, with the defendant promptly stopping infringement, compensating economic losses, and committing to cease future infringing activities.
• Represented a renowned smartphone brand in a design patent infringement case in Shenzhen, achieving a favorable judgment and delivering a significant blow to competitors.
• Assisted a foreign enterprise in suing domestic manufacturers for design patent infringement; the court ordered cessation of infringement and awarded compensation, which was successfully enforced, effectively curbing infringement and protecting client rights.
• Represented a multinational client in a design patent infringement case against a Guangdong enterprise, obtaining a successful judgment that minimized market share loss and safeguarded the client's competitive advantage.

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 complaints, 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 a Shanxi electric power company as defendant in two design patent infringement suits brought by a Xi'an company claiming over RMB 20 million in damages. Alongside the litigation, we handled more than 20 invalidation requests filed against the defendant's patents and upheld the validity of 18. By coordinating the invalidation and civil proceedings, we secured a complete 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.