Technical Neutrality Defense Supported, DeHeng Assisted Client in Winning Dispute with Well-Known Short Video and Live Streaming Platform: A Case Selected as One of the Top Ten IP Cases of 2024 by Shenzhen Court

2025-04-17

Recently, the Dispute Case on Unfair Competition Caused by Screen Auto-Clickers (Case No.: (2023) Guangdong 03 Min Zhong 39765) handled by DeHeng’s Shenzhen Office, with primary support from lawyer Gong Qi and paralegals Chen Yanhong and Chen Zihan, was concluded. The court of second instance adopted the main arguments of DeHeng lawyers and ultimately clarified that the “screen auto-click” technology, as a neutral tool, does not have a substantial infringing purpose. The case was selected as one of the Top Ten Intellectual Property Cases of 2024 by the Shenzhen Court. 

With detailed technical analysis and legal argumentation, the court of second instance ultimately recognized that the auto-clicker product, as a neutral tool, does not constitute unfair competition, and regulated only the clickbait behavior in individual promotional phrases. This reversal won the client a legitimate sales space, avoiding a complete product removal or an upgrade in compliance risks. It also explored the judicial recognition path for “substantial non-infringing uses” of technology.