Huawei fails to invalidate a utility model patent held by Wuhan Cnfttd Sci-tech Co.,Ltd. The validity of the patent is maintained after the trial by the Reexamination and Invalidation Department of the Patent Office, CNIPA, according to the announcement of CNIPA on January 28. Cnfttd, founded in 2018, is a high-tech enterprise headquartered in Wuhan, China’s Hubei Province. Its utility model patent, whose number is ZL201920349301.3, is described as an ONU used for an FTTD.

According to the report, the validation result is rare to see in the recent patent invalidation history of Huawei, which has successfully invalidated several patents held by IP Bridge, InterDigital and SolarEdge during the past years.

“In China, sometimes, it can be more difficult to challenge a utility model patent that requires no substantive review than a strictly reviewed invention patent, reflecting the urgent need for a major reform in China's patent system,” said an industry insider, “otherwise, more than several million utility model patents grant in China every year may become a time bomb for large Chinese enterprises that may face rising litigation costs.”