A drone takes off from an automatic drone hangar independently developed by a Chinese technology company to conduct road inspection. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

By ZHONG Jianli

In its latest move to motivate innovation and create a sound business environment, China has taken a significant step forward in bolstering its intellectual property (IP) protection system.

The National Intellectual Property Administration, the country's top IP regulator, along with eight other government departments, issued a comprehensive plan for the establishment of an intellectual property (IP) protection system.

The plan serves as a roadmap for China to modernize and strengthen its IP system by 2035. It sets a short-term goal that by 2025, the average examination period for invention patents will be reduced to 15 months, and the registration period for general trademarks will be kept at seven months.

Efforts will be made to crack down on abnormal patent applications and malicious trademark registrations, and strengthen IP protection in emerging fields such as AI, gene technology, and livestreaming.

To strengthen IP protection, the plan proposes building specialized IP courts and tribunals, and creating hubs for international IP litigation.

The system of punitive compensation for IP infringement will be fully implemented, and the rules of evidence and the standards for determining the amount of compensation for infringement damages will be improved.

The plan also outlines the goal of establishing a nationwide IP fast-protection network by 2027, with provincial-level coverage of such agencies reaching 90 percent.

At present, 71 national IP protection centers and 42 fast-protection centers are under construction or in operation, covering major cities and economically developed areas. From January to April this year, the fast-protection agencies accepted 35,000 cases, with an average handling period of two weeks.

Furthermore, the plan calls for training experts for IP protection, and setting up information platforms to build a professional, information-based and intelligent IP protection capability support system.

The comprehensive measures are expected to significantly improve the country's IP protection and foster a law-based, internationalized business environment.