According to IPR regulators, China has developed significantly as a result of its increasingly strict enforcement of intellectual property rights over the past ten years, which has attracted more international businesses to the country.
More patents and stronger IPR protection in China
Zhang Zhicheng, the spokesman for the CNIPA, stated that in the last ten years, China reinforced efforts in protecting IPR countrywide, and we’ve always offered equal protection to any business, regardless of whether it is Chinese-funded or foreign-funded.
There was a 23% year-over-year rise in the number of invention patent applications submitted by foreign entities and approved by Chinese IPR administrations in 2018, and there was a 5% increase in the number of trademark registrations made by foreign parties compared to 2020.
Governmental organizations, including the administration, have given IPR-related matters a high priority since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012 and have taken a number of measures to protect IPR.
The country’s Civil Code, a basic rule governing civil activities, has emphasized the awarding of punitive damages to individuals whose IPR has been violated, while the amended Criminal Law has raised sanctions for IPR violators.
A few IPR-related legislation, including the Patent Law, the Trademark Law, and the Copyright Law, have also recently undergone amendments. These actions demonstrate that China has been actively using legislation to protect inventors and discourage violators.
The State Administration for Market Regulation has organized its departments nationally to thoroughly examine IPR violations involving trademark, patent, and geographic indication infringements during the previous 10 years. An administration official in charge of IPR inspection, the branches handled more than 50,000 cases involving trademark or patent infringements last year, which significantly contributed to protecting the legitimate rights of IPR owners and building a better innovation environment.
The government would step up inspection in cyberspace and work with more stakeholders to address IPR infringements because counterfeit goods are increasingly frequently found online.
You can find a list of China IP firms here.