Led by copyright expert Ma Xiaogang and trade mark specialist Lian Yunze, Hylands Law Firm has a first-class reputation in copyright and is improving its reputation for trade mark work. "The firm is up to date on all Chinese laws and regulations and is keen on giving proactive advice to clients," notes an in-house lawyer who uses the firm.
Online IP infringement is a big issue in China. Often featuring in groundbreaking copyright cases, Ma and his team are defending a client that runs a search engine in an infringement case filed by a local copyright owner. The team assisted the client to provide evidence that the videos come from a third-party website and advised it to remove the links to the videos in dispute under the court's instruction. The case is pending before a Beijing court and will serve as an example for future disputes involving search engines.
With its own in-house investigation team, the anti-counterfeiting and enforcement work of Hylands is very sought-after by clients. In another case regarding online infringement, Lian led a team for a US shoe brand to combat online infringers on various websites and online shops on trading platforms. More than 7,000 pairs of counterfeit boots were seized and the infringer was sentenced to two years in jail. The Hylands team conducted two other similar investigations for the same client and got three criminal verdicts in less than one year.
Lian is held in high regard by many of his clients: "Lian has built an impressive IP team at Hylands. I have been particularly impressed with his ability to lead this team and his management of complex legal and political situations," says one. "He is also very goal oriented. He is definitively international, fluent in English and a genuine pleasure to work with."