In January, Nikon filed a lawsuit in China against lens manufacturer Viltrox, alleging intellectual property infringement related to Nikon’s Z-mount technology. Nikon attempted to argue that its Z-mount bayonet design and electronic terminal structure were inventive and worthy of patent protection. Nikon was seeking some sort of compensation related to Viltrox releasing products with features and designs related to Nikon’s pending mount design patents. Basically, the CNIPA panel believed that Nikon’s Z-mount design and associated technology are not sufficiently novel to demand protection under Chinese patent law. PetaPixel reached out to Nikon for comment on the result of its lawsuit against Viltrox, but as expected, the company had little to say.