Qihoo 360 Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as 360 Company), an internet security enterprise in China, obtained the first GUI design certificate forwarded by Chaoyang Branch of Rapid Rights Protection Center on August 14, 2014. It’s also known as China’s first GUI design certificate obtained through rapid application procedure. Professionals indicated the issuing of a number of GUI design certificates marked that GUI protection broke the ice in China for the first time.
   
Graphical User Interface (GUI) is a type of interface allowing human-computer interaction. GUI is not only the portal of Internet products that closest to the users, but also is one of the main ways for users to identify the products. In the US, common interfaces like iPhone’s slide to unlock and Samsung mobile phones’ home screen page turning could all protected by GUI design patent.
   
However, due to lack of effective protection measures in China before, plagiarism and imitation of GUI have been rather common in the industry, especially the similar GUI designs of similar products impeded the enthusiasm of Internet enterprises to innovate the relevant technology.
   
With increasing investment of enterprises into GUI design, there are growing calls in the industry to give patent protection to GUI. The State Intellectual Property Office of the P.R.C (SIPO) promulgated lately the Order No. 68 to amend the Guidelines for Patent Examination and started to provide patent protection to GUI design from May 1, 2014. The Internet enterprises in China launched their GUI patent deployment one after another.
  
Accordingly, combining the features of modern service industry, Chaoyang Branch of Rapid Rights Protection Center launched their business officially on July 30. The purpose is to offer convenience to the enterprises in Chaoyang District, and SIPO initiated rapid examination on design submitted through the center and its branches.
   
360 Company obtained on August 14 the first patent certificate for GUI design forwarded by Chaoyang Branch of Rapid Rights Protection Center.
   
As reported, it only took ten working days for 360 Company to obtain the design certificate for “mobile phone with GUI” from filing. This was also the first patent granted via rapid application procedure since May 1, 2014 when China started to protect GUI design.
   
It’s known that 360 Company, as one of the representative enterprises of Chinese IP protection, pays high attention to safeguard of IP and has filed for more than 140 GUI design patents and altogether more than 3,000 patents; in many fields including Internet security, 360 Company has topped in the industry in terms of patent applications.
  
360 Company pays special attention in aspect of GUI. A series of its products, including 360 Security, 360 Mobile Safe, 360 Mobile Assistant, comprehensive searching engine and intelligent hardware, all regarded improving users’ experience as the fundamental requirement. 360 Company tried its best to enhance their product design and protect them by GUI designs. The granting of this GUI would offer more comprehensive IP protection to GUI designs.

Date: August 20, 2014                     

Source: China News

In addition, the CNIPR Patent Database Service Platform shows that SIPO granted four GUI designs (All filing dates were May 1, 2014; Name: “mobile with GUI” and “television with GUI”) on August 13, 2014. The relevant information is as follows:

1. Applicant (Patentee): Beijing Qiyi Century Science & Technology Co., Ltd.

Application Number: CN201430114512.1

Publication (Notification) Number: CN302909795S

2. Applicant (Patentee):  Keniu Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

Application Number: CN201430114516.X

Publication (Notification) Number: CN302909796S

3. Applicant (Patentee): Beijing Qiyi Century Science & Technology Co., Ltd.

Application Number: CN201430114757.4

Publication (Notification) Number: CN302909798S

4. Applicant (Patentee): Kingsoft Network Technology Limited

Application Number: CN201430114552.6

Publication (Notification) Number: CN302909797S

Source: CNIPR Patent Database Service Platform