Regulator vows online access to IP services

China's top intellectual property regulator has pledged to give more online access to IP services to improve work efficiency when dealing with trademark and patent issues.

The pledge was made by the China National Intellectual Property Administration at a news conference on Thursday, as a part of its three-year plan to promote IP public services.

The plan requires IP agencies nationwide to optimize and provide more online services to build an IP digital service platform across the country, with the establishment of mobile channels to accelerate the handling of trademark registrations and patent applications.

Wang Peizhang, head of the administration's public service department, said that the move will better serve small, medium and micro enterprises, providing more convenience for them in innovation and development.

Under the plan, workshops and public service centers will be required to set up in industrial parks and pilot zones to ensure enterprises can understand IP policies and information in a timely manner. This will help prevent IP risks and strengthen IP protection, Wang said.

In addition, the plan also clarifies that IP public services should be increased for national laboratories, national scientific and technological research institutes, universities with an emphasis on high-level research, and major enterprises dominated by technologies.

IP departments will also be required to focus more on protecting patents and trademarks in emerging industries and new sectors, including artificial intelligence, big data, personal information protection, gene technology and smart healthcare, according to the plan.