Liaoning to strengthen intellectual property protection

The Liaoning Provincial Justice Department recently solicited public opinions on the "Liaoning Intellectual Property Protection Regulations (Draft)."

The draft has eight chapters and 67 articles. It makes specific provisions on promoting intellectual property protection, aiming to comprehensively improve the effectiveness of IP protection and create a healthy business environment.

The draft clarifies that the IP management department may issue an injunction to immediately halt conduct that is legitimately infringing on IP rights.

Meanwhile, Liaoning will strengthen the establishment of rapid IP protection institutions, build IP protection centers and rapid rights protection centers in advantageous industry clusters.

The province will also establish a rapid case acceptance mechanism to promote the review and determination of rights and rights protection with high efficiency to reduce IP holders' rights protection costs.

The draft requires providing priority review channels for patent applications in strategic emerging industries such as high-end equipment manufacturing, new-generation information technology, energy conservation and environmental protection, new energy, biomedicine and new materials.

It also proposes establishing a coordination mechanism for IP protection, strengthening the linkage of IP protection in various fields, building a protection mechanism that connects administrative and judicial bodies, and strengthening regional and international cooperation in IP protection.

A diversified IP dispute resolution mechanism will also be established to promote the effective connection of IP mediation, administrative adjudication, arbitration, litigation and other dispute resolution channels.