China escalates efforts to protect intellectual property rights

The recently unveiled guidelines for improving the trial procedures of intellectual property rights (IPR) cases in China have great realistic significance and far-reaching historic influence, a Chinese official told a press conference on Feb.28.

The guidelines will comprehensively advance the modernization of the IPR case trial system and capabilities, added Tao Kaiyuan, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC).

The guidelines are the first landmark guidance released by the General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council for IPR case trail.

As an effort to protect IPR, the Chinese government has adopted policies and measures, improved laws and regulations and introduced tough rules since the 18th National Congress of the CPC held in 2012.

The State Council, for instance, released a five-year (2016-2020) plan on IPR protection and application last January. The plan signified that China, with its rapidly growing capability to protect IPR, has gradually established a world-class system of laws and regulations on IPR represented by patent law, trademark law and copyright law.

To strengthen the creation, protection and application of intellectual property was also highlighted in the report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC.

By October 2017, China has established 24 IPR protection and aid centers. The country’s first national intellectual property evaluation and certification center, State Intellectual Property Evaluation and Certification Center, opened in Beijing in February 2017.

On Feb. 24, 2018, the first intellectual property court in northwestern China was established in Xi’an, Shaanxi province. The court is a further enhancement of the specialized IPR case trial, following the establishment of such courts in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

IPR protection is a strong support for the country’s economic transformation and upgrade, and a solid foundation to create better business environment and open economy.

Statistics showed that 17,703 foreign-invested enterprises were established in China in the first seven months of 2017, up by 12 percent year on year. In addition, China has topped the developing countries for 24 consecutive years in terms of the scale of foreign investment attraction.