Effectively protecting IPR best fodder for SMEs

The share of applications for valid invention patents by small and medium-sized enterprises in the total reached 55.1 percent in 2024, up 3.6 percentage points from the year before, according to data from China National Intellectual Property Administration.

This highlights the innovative vitality of SMEs. An increasing number of SMEs have established intellectual property rights management departments. However, apart from actively increasing R&D investment, companies must also acquire transferred patents from universities and research institutions. Which is especially important considering that more localities are helping enterprises achieve precise docking with universities and research institutions through policy support. In the first 11 months of 2024, there were 55,000 instances of patent transfer and licensing by national universities and research institutions, representing a year-on-year increase of 19.1 percent.

It's with the encouragement of the government that a number of innovative enterprises that have patented their inventions have emerged. In October 2023, the General Office of the State Council issued a special action plan, prioritizing the growth of SMEs by focusing on industrial patents from 2023 to 2025.

The key is not only about who has stronger patent-related R&D but also who can provide more effective patent protection. In 2024, the proportion of SMEs taking measures to defend their rights after encountering patent infringement was 84 percent, a 1.3 percentage-point increase from 2023. This indicates an improvement in SMEs' ability to protect their intellectual property rights.

The recently released Sixth Five-Year Reform Outline of the People's Courts (2024-28) stresses strengthening judicial protection of intellectual property rights in key core technologies, key areas and emerging industries. Only through the joint efforts of all parties and the enterprises themselves, creating a legal business environment that protects intellectual property rights, can enterprises develop steadily and go far.