China intensifies IP protection with 25 centers set up nationwide

China continues its efforts to better protect intellectual property rights. Twenty-five IP protection centers have been set up across the country to deal with IP applications and dispute settlements more efficiently.

One look at the Shanghai skyline, and it's hard to forget the skyscrapers that tower over the Huangpu River. As the builders of some of the tallest buildings in the city and country, Shanghai Construction Group says intellectual property protection is vital to its development.

"The construction industry is transforming from labor-intensive to technology-intensive as labor costs are rising. Technology is a key part of our assets, and intellectual property protection is the best way to safeguard our technologies," Li Xiaoyong, Intellectual Property Department Manager of Engineering General Institute, Shanghai Construction Group, said.

The company applies for over 900 patents every year. The efficiency of its patent application and protection has been greatly improved thanks to the Pudong Intellectual Property Protection Center, where a combined law enforcement platform was set up to investigate and settle suspected violations of patents, trademarks and copyrights.

"Intellectual property holders usually face difficulties in proving they've been victims. In some cases this costs a lot of money and takes a lot of time. We are building a stable cooperation mechanism with court and procuratorate, to offer faster, more convenient and cheaper IP protection services for them," He Ying, director of China (Pudong) Intellectual Property Protection Center, said.

The center offers a green pathway to enable faster reviews of patents to bio-pharmaceutical, high-end equipment manufacturing and new-generation IT industries. It has reviewed over 1,000 patent applications and approved more than 300 cases since its opening in February 2018.

Twenty-five Intellectual Property Protection Centers have been set up in China to create a stable, fair and transparent business environment.

"The standard process of patent approval takes three to five years in China. Technologies are changing quickly nowadays, and many companies invest heavily in innovation. If they can't have their IP approvals in time, their products will face potential IP violations and big losses," Zhang Yongzhong, deputy director of Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration, said.

Innovation is becoming the driving force of the Chinese economy. Authorities hope the growing IP protection will better support the nation's high-quality growth and higher-level of reform and opening-up.