In August 2024, we reported on the Hong Kong Government’s two-month public consultation on potential revisions to the Copyright Ordinance (Cap. 528) (“CO”) in response to developments in generative artificial intelligence (“AI”). The public consultation was
technology and innovation
Turning an AI image into reality, does that infringe in China?


On 27th November 2023, the Beijing Internet Court upheld that an AI generated work can be protected by copyright if the work reflects an author’s choice of expression and has originality (see our earlier blog post here). Almost…
Intellectual property and the digital world


The digital economy is built around speed, simplicity and more efficient ways of doing things. Data security and privacy is expected but is often negotiable as consumers are enticed to trade private information for efficiency or more attractive offers. In…
The unavoidable trajectory – Hong Kong considers interplay between copyright and artificial intelligence


On 8 July 2024, the Hong Kong government launched a two-month public consultation on potential revisions to the Copyright Ordinance (Cap. 528) in view of the rapid developments in artificial intelligence (“AI”), especially generative AI. The 52-page consultation…
PRC hands down first ruling on AI voice infringement


Who is liable when an artificial intelligence system infringes copyright – a missed opportunity by the PRC Court


In our previous newsletter here, we reported a decision from the Beijing Internet Court ruling that the copyright of a portrait generated by an artificial intelligence (“AI”) program is owned by the user who “controlled meticulously” the parameters for…
Trade Secrets Triumph: Mega RMB201.54m Verdict

On January 17, 2024, the Supreme People’s Court of China (“SPC”) published its decision upholding a ruling in favor of Sennics Chemical Technology Co., Ltd. (“Sennics”), granting them an award of RMB 201.54 million (around USD…
Is that picture your creation or the AI program’s – an age-old question revisited


The copyright eligibility of computer-generated literature and artistic works is not, contrary to what many may think, a post-millennial question. In a case decided as early as 1985 [1], in a time long before the internet era, the English…
Trade Marks in the Virtual World: Is your Business Well Meta-Versed in Emerging Technology?


Introduction
Digital technologies such as the metaverse, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), blockchain and augmented realities are directly influencing how we cultivate and protect various forms of intellectual property, including trade marks.
We have previously written about key steps…
NFTs and IP – Your opportunity to comment


On November 23, 2022, the US Patent and Trademark Office and the US Copyright Office issued a request for public comment on the subject of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and intellectual property rights. Comments are due by Monday, January 9, 2023.