China speeds patent reviews, boosts quality

China has stepped up efforts to refine patent examination standards in emerging fields and new business models such as artificial intelligence in recent years, providing robust support for accelerating high-level technological self-reliance, officials from the country's top intellectual property regulator said.

Heng Fuguang, spokesman for the China National Intellectual Property Administration, told a news conference on Friday that these efforts have contributed to fostering the growth of new quality productive forces and building a high-standard market system.

He said the administration completed a new round of revisions to the Patent Law and its implementing regulations over the past five years, establishing an international high-standard punitive damages system for infringement.

While strengthening the legal framework, he added that the administration has also developed an advanced intelligent patent examination and search system, along with a next-generation trademark management and registration system.

The average review period for invention patents has been reduced to 15 months, and the average examination period for trademark registration has been stabilized at four months, both among the fastest globally, according to the administration.

The level of intellectual property services and utilization has also improved, with better systems for handling and guiding overseas IP disputes, he said.

"All these initiatives have facilitated China's transition from a big IP importer to a powerful IP creator, meaning the focus of our IP work has shifted from pursuing quantity to improving quality," Heng said.

The accelerated accumulation of high-value patents has strongly supported the pursuit of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and strength, said Liang Xinxin, head of the administration's Strategic Planning Department.

He cited data showing that as of the end of June, China had 15.3 high-value invention patents per 10,000 people, exceeding targets set for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period.

Among them, the number of effective invention patents in strategic emerging industries surpassed 1.4 million, maintaining rapid growth. In key areas such as AI, advanced manufacturing, integrated circuits, biomedicine and new energy, a large number of original and leading innovative achievements have emerged, Liang said.

"The figures clearly demonstrate that China's reserve of high-value patents in key core technology areas is continuously strengthening, marking a shift from quantity accumulation to quality improvement and laying a solid foundation for achieving high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and strength," he said.