Opinion calls for expanding IP measures

The State Council issued an opinion last week to accelerate the construction of an intellectual property power that will have "great practical and far-reaching historical significance" for China's future IP development, said Shen Changyu, commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office. 

A major part of the nation's IP efforts in the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), the opinion sets out guidelines to implement the national IP strategy, deepen IP reform in key sectors and introduce more stringent protection measures. 

It also sets goals for the 13th Five-Year Plan: By 2020, decisive results must be achieved in reforms to IP across a number of important fields; IP licensing and law enforcement systems must be improved; and the environment for innovation and entrepreneurship must be optimized to create new IP advantages internationally. 

China leads the world in trademark registrations since its implementation of a national IP plan in 2008. It also ranks first worldwide in the number of invention patent applications from 2011 to 2014. Still, it does not have strong IP protection measures. Problems such as inadequate protection, rampant infringement and increasingly high corporate overseas IP risks are major challenges.
The opinion states that China should continuously adhere to an innovation-driven development strategy and the Belt and Road Initiative, to enhance the nation's abilities in IP creation, use, protection, management and service. 

It said the country must continue to implement the national IP strategy and give full play to IP systems to stimulate innovation and the sharing of the latest achievements; strengthen innovation; and integrate international and domestic resources and manpower to nurture IP demonstration regions. 

Important measures the opinion contains include improving management systems for IP rights, allowing local IP authorities to carry out reforms, establishing IP appraisal systems for major economic activities and realizing online filing and registration and paperless examination and approval of IP rights. 

According to the opinion, China should enact harsher punishments for IP infringements, improve administrative enforcement and judicial protection approaches, include intentional IP violations on corporate and individual credit records, and create an environment for innovation, entrepreneurship and business that features fair competition and supervision. 

The opinion also states that research on IP protection in the Internet, e-commerce and big data sectors should be strengthened and that more just and equitable international IP rules should be constructed to expand diplomatic channels related to IP protection. China should also improve its overseas IP early-warning systems. 

In addition, the country should gradually integrate IP products and indices into the national economic accounting system and the national economic and social development plan, and explore the establishment of an evaluation model of State-owned enterprises that pays equal attention to business performance, IP rights and innovation.