Global cooperation key in safeguarding IPR

Nation contributing to international governance of intellectual property rights

China will actively and deeply participate in global intellectual property rights governance and advance multilateral and bilateral IPR cooperation to promote the building of an open economy, IPR officials said on Monday.

Shen Changyu, head of the China National Intellectual Property Administration, said that China will take IPR as a "standard part" of international trade, actively align high-standard international economic and trade rules and promote international economic, technological and cultural exchanges.

IPR is the foundation of innovation-driven development, and China will vigorously strengthen legal protection for IPR and foster a basic system for comprehensive innovation to better support research in key and core technologies, he said.

According to the CNIPA, last year China granted about 798,000 invention patents, Chinese applicants submitted 70,000 international patent applications through the Patent Cooperation Treaty, and 2,558 design applications through the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs. China has ranked 11th in the world in the Global Innovation Index 2022 report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Utilizing innovation to support high-quality development, China has intensified efforts in patent transformation and application, accelerated the implementation of the patent open licensing system, and improved the market-oriented mechanism for patent transformation and application, he said.

According to the CNIPA, China's use of IPR has become more effective. In 2021, the added value of patent-intensive industries reached 14.3 trillion yuan ($2 trillion), up 17.9 percent year-on-year and accounting for 12.4 percent of GDP. The added value of the copyright industry reached 8.48 trillion yuan in 2021, up 12.9 percent year-on-year.

"IPR protection is an important aspect of fostering a sound business environment. We will protect the IPR of all market players on an equal footing, resolutely punish IPR infringements and violations, and regulate abuse of IPR, so as to help foster a world-class market-based and law-based international business environment," he said.

The first 10 national IPR protection demonstration zones were selected last year, and 10 national IPR protection centers and rapid rights protection centers were set up to support IPR protection.

Judicial departments also vigorously cracked down on related infringement cases, with about 543,000 IPR-related cases concluded in 2022, and the satisfaction of society with IPR protection has further increased, he said.

"China has established a comprehensive intellectual property legal system in line with international rules and signed on to almost all major international intellectual property treaties. Additionally, through institutional reform, China has realized the centralized and unified management of patents, trademarks, geographical indications and layout design of integrated circuits, making IP work more integrated, systematic and collaborative," he said.

Shen said the authorities will strengthen research on IP rules for new fields and new forms of business, such as big data, artificial intelligence and gene technology, to facilitate innovation and development in related fields.

To implement the innovation-driven development strategy and promote the modernization of the copyright governance system, China is studying and formulating copyright protection policies and measures for new fields and new forms of business, said Wang Zhicheng, head of the copyright management bureau of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Wang said the regulators have strengthened key copyright supervision over major internet service providers and new media formats, and improved the diversified settlement mechanism for copyright disputes.

"We have also participated in the formulation of international copyright rules, made full preparation for the implementation of relevant international copyright treaties and built an international risk prevention and control system for the copyright industry," he said.

China has strengthened the cultivation of international copyright talent, and organized the construction of international copyright expert think tanks to provide intellectual support for international copyright work, he added.