Nation to pass draft amendments to patent law next year
A new draft amendment to China’s patent law aimed at enhancing protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) will likely be passed in the country’s legislative body next year, as part of China’s broader efforts to boost IPR protection, officials revealed at a press briefing on Tuesday.
The new draft amendment has been submitted to the National People’s Congress (NPC) for review and is likely to be approved next year, Yin Xintian, an official with the National Intellectual Property Administration said at the briefing.
The new amendment is aimed at stepping up efforts to crack down on IPR infringement and adopt international practices, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday.
To discourage entities from violating IPR, the new amendment also seeks to significantly increase punishments for violators based on their intentions, according to the report.
Another major change in the new amendment is that once adopted, internet service providers would be required by law to stop activities on their sites that infringe on others’ IPR or they will face punishment.
The draft amendment was passed by an executive meeting of the State Council, China’s cabinet, on December 6 before being submitted to the NPC for final review.
China has in recent years stepped up its efforts to enhance protection of IPR, as the country shifts focus to an innovation-driven economy and faces growing concerns from foreign governments over its IPR protection.
China has become a leader in new patent filings in recent years. In 2017, there were 1.38 million new patent applications in China, according to Xinhua.