The situation: A company made a product with an innovative design and displayed it publicly at a trade fair in China before filing a patent application. Days later a similar product from a local rival appeared, and the company tried to keep it off the market.
Applicable law: Under the Patent Law, protection is granted on a first-to-file basis and is territorial, meaning it applies within China when registered there. Prior public disclosure can also harm the novelty of the design and weaken the position of one who has not filed.
Typical outcome: The company struggled to stop the copy because it had not filed before displaying. Those who file a patent (invention, utility model or design) in China before any public disclosure enjoy a far stronger position.
💡 Intellectual property · Awareness case
You showed your design before filing… a rival copied it · Yalla China
🤝 Governing law: 专利法 / Patent Law
A maker displayed a new design at a fair before filing a patent; a rival copied it, and stopping it was hard because protection is first-to-file and territorial.
Illustrative, general educational examples — not real specific facts and not legal advice; for awareness only. For an actual situation, consult a licensed lawyer.
🎓 The lesson / takeaway
Lesson: File your patent in China (invention, utility model or design) before any public display, fair or publication. Protection goes to the first to file and is territorial, so delay can cost you the right over your own product against a copier.
🕒 Updated: 16 March 2026