Gree and the United States patent war has not yet subsided, but now both sides put aside compassion and hatred, called for the strengthening of intellectual property protection come together.Recently, Gree Electric led the first air-conditioning industry in China set up the Intellectual Property Alliance.In addition to the United States, Dong Mingzhu, Chairman of Gree also brought Haier, Changhong and other counterparts to jointly form an alliance.
The industry believes that: 'Most of the development of China's home appliance business from' take it 'to' independent innovation 'in the transformation of enterprises to innovation and intellectual property, more and more attention to the protection of intellectual property issues.At present our country in the intellectual property The protection system still needs to be improved, but enterprises must establish a complete strategic management system for intellectual property as soon as possible.
Home appliance giant alliance
Former competitors, but now established a solid alliance recently led by Zhuhai Gree Electric Appliance Co., Ltd. led the establishment of intellectual property alliance start meeting held in Zhuhai Intellectual Property Exchange Center Conference Hall, the coalition, including Gree, Haier and other air-conditioning business members, Is China's first air conditioning industry intellectual property alliance.
Dong Mingzhu said that intellectual property protection is an important guarantee for independent innovation in escort. She believes: "The key to the success of China's economic restructuring and upgrading lies in the innovation capability of enterprises. However, at present, there are still some problems in China, such as the weak protection of intellectual property rights, the long trial period of cases, Punishment standards too light and so on.To promote the intellectual property administrative law enforcement and judicial protection of the two ways complement each other, organic convergence, and further increase the amount of compensation to increase the infringer's illegal costs.
Data show that in 2016, the data statistics of domestic enterprises' invention patent application acceptance and application authorization amount, Gree Electric Appliances ranked the top of the home appliance industry with an application acceptance amount of 3299 pieces and an applied authorization amount of 871 pieces respectively. As of September this year , Gree cumulative application for more than 30,000 patents can be seen Gree attention to intellectual property.
Liu Hua, assistant to the president and vice chief engineer of Gree Electric Appliances, said Gree will deploy the alliance work in three aspects: improving organizational structure, upgrading the technological innovation level of China's air conditioning industry, and enhancing the intellectual property of alliance members. Alliance to guide the industry to respect intellectual property rights and standardize the competition environment of intellectual property in air-conditioning industry; provide technical analysis of air-conditioner industry trends and upgrade the technological innovation level of China's air-conditioner industry; play a central role in China's air-conditioning industry in the global air-conditioning industrial chain and promote Chinese entities Economic restructuring and upgrading.
Gree's patent victory is not divided
As a kind of intellectual property rights, patent rights often lead to turmoil in the development of home appliance enterprises, while the recent giants of home appliances even focus on the fight for patents.
Before Gree and the United States set up this alliance, the two parties just started a round of 'close combat' around the patent.
In June of this year, Gree filed a suit against US air-conditioners for infringing on their utility-type patents and claiming 50 million yuan. Since then, the United States has launched 4 lawsuits against Gree in Guangzhou and Suzhou, accumulating over 50 million yuan in claims. In the current round of patent wars , Gree and the United States around the patent case has reached as many as 12 cases, the cumulative claims amounted to several hundred million dollars.
Sun Mingyan, a group intellectual property expert from the United States, told reporters: 'Gree and the United States have not only sued each other's patents for the patents involved in the patent in addition to the lawsuit on the patent rights, but the two types of cases together have resulted in the actual number of lawsuits involved From 12 up.
Hong Shibin, an industrial economic observer, said: "The intense competition in the air-conditioning industry between the two giants has given both parties an open battle over patent rights." Today's patent war is not just a battle for patent rights between two companies but a business war. However, The two sides can stand together in the patent protection, indicating that the appliance giant has an urgent need for patent protection.
A source disclosed that at present our country is promoting the fourth revision of the Patent Law and is expected to be completed within the year or so.
Beijing Yingke Law Firm practicing lawyer Zang Xiaoli said: 'Patent infringement litigation cycle is shortened, the punitive damages measures implemented for infringement more stringent, is bound to be the future direction of the relevant laws and regulations. At present, China's relevant laws and regulations are being improved However, with the strengthening of independent innovation and the protection of intellectual property rights, the patent war between giants will also become increasingly fierce.