At the first seminar held for presiding judges of IP tribunals across the nation in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, Vice President of the Supreme People’s Court Xi Xiaoming illustrated national IP judicial protection policies and Member of the Standing Committee of CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and Secretary of the Politics and Law Committee of Guangdong Province Liang Weifa and President of Guangdong Provincial Higher People’s Court Zheng E attended and addressed the seminar. 

Xi Xiaoming pointed out that enhancing protection is an inevitable choice in consideration of China’s current economic and social development and domestic and international environments, and is the policy orientation of China’s current IP judicial protection. Handling cases in accordance to different situations means that enhancing protection should base on the property and characteristics of IP itself to take effective measures within the scope of laws and regulations. Moderate attitudes mean enhancing protection should meet China’s national situation and development stage. 

While Liang Weifa noted that as of 2010, patent applications and grants in the whole province were 910,276 pieces and 574,414 items, respectively, both topping the nation. The total amount of effective registered trademarks were 700,450, ranking first in the nation for 16 years in a row. Newly recognized well-known trademarks were 75 and the accumulated number reached 267, taking the first place in the country for five consecutive years. To ensure IP development, 18 cities at or above prefecture level issued IP Strategic Outline or Implementation for Strategic Outline. 

It is informed that in Guangdong, 22 grass-roots courts own IP jurisdiction in part, 8 intermediate people’s courts have patent jurisdiction, 4 intermediate people’s courts and 12 grass-roots courts implemented Three in One IP trial pilot. The courts in the province ended about 28% of the IP civil cases of the nation. [Chinese version is available on ycwb.com]

(Source: IPR in China)