SmallRig Wins Final Design Patent Ruling Against Neewer in Guangdong

By Ozan Attas

Photo: Paymaster_Ukraine / Pixabay

Design rights for small accessories can be enforced through to payment. The High People's Court of Guangdong Province has issued a final, binding judgment in favour of Shenzhen Leqi Innovation Co., Ltd., the company behind the SmallRig brand, in a design patent case over a camera side handle. The company announced the judgment on 8 October 2026.

According to the announcement, the court held that the accused handles fall within the scope of Leqi Innovation's design patent. It dismissed the appeal of Shenzhen Neewer Technology Co., Ltd. and affirmed the first-instance judgment in full. The defendants, Neewer Technology and Shenzhen Xing Ying Da Industry Co., Ltd., were ordered to stop making and selling the handles, destroy remaining inventory and promotional materials, pay court costs and pay damages. The company says the damages have been paid in full. The judgment amount was not disclosed.

Why it matters

SmallRig describes this as the first patent case in the imaging accessories industry to complete the full cycle of evidence collection, trial, appeal and enforcement. The press release says copying in this market often involves only minor changes to logos or colours, and that split supply chains for tooling, contract manufacturing and online sales make it hard to trace who is responsible. Cases involving overseas platforms also need cross-border notarisation, which adds time and cost. These points come from the rights holder and should be read as such.

Lessons for design owners in Indonesia

China's design patent system protects product appearance for 15 years for designs filed since June 2021. Indonesia protects industrial designs under Law No. 31 of 2000 for 10 years from filing, and novelty is the key test. A Chinese design registration gives no rights in Indonesia, so companies selling accessories through Indonesian marketplaces should file locally before launch. With DJKI's four-month target for industrial design applications, local protection can be secured faster than before.

Sources

• PR Newswire / SmallRig, "SmallRig Wins Final Ruling in Side Handle Design Patent Case Against Neewer" (8 October 2026)