20 IPR protection, fast service hubs to be set up

The nation plans to set up 20 intellectual property rights protection centers and fast IPR service centers this year across the country in an effort to provide more efficient protection, the country’s IPR watchdog said.

Further, 10 centers will be set up abroad to provide guidance and services for overseas Chinese companies to deal with related disputes, Shen Changyu, head of China’s National Intellectual Property Administration, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency on Feb 10.

China has established more than 60 IPR protection centers and fast service centers, which provide efficient, low-cost assistance to market entities.

IPR protection centers address difficulties in obtaining evidence and reduce processing time and costs involved in disputes, while the fast service centers are aimed at providing county-level industry clusters quick IPR review, verification and protection services.

China is shifting from a major IPR importer to a major creator. According to statistics, 530,000 patents were granted in China last year, a year-on-year growth of 17.1 percent despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.