Rising cases show courts safeguarding and boosting intellectual property rights, report says

Courts concluded 466,000 cases relating to intellectual property rights in 2020, up 11.7 percent year-on-year, according to the annual work report of the country's top court.

The report was submitted by the Supreme People's Court to the ongoing fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, for deliberation, on Monday.

The increased number of IPR-related case hearings show the courts' efforts in serving innovation-driven development, encouraging self-reliance in technological industries and maintaining the vitality of market entities, the report says.

To reach the goal, the top court last year also issued 10 judicial interpretations and normative documents for better handling of IPR-related civil lawsuits, offering more convenience for litigants in providing evidence, shortening litigation time, reducing litigation costs and increasing compensation, the report adds.

China has paid greater efforts in IPR protection in recent years. In 2019, the top court set up a national-level IP court in Beijing as its division, focusing on patent appeal cases and those on advanced technologies.

The country also has four intermediate-level courts specializing in IPR-related cases; in Beijing, Shanghai, and in Guangdong and Hainan provinces.