Protect IP rights for greater innovation

The number of international patent applications filed by Chinese applicants through the Patent Cooperation Treaty has ranked first in the world for four consecutive years and as of June, effective registered trademarks in China had hit a new high of 45.909 million pieces.It can be said that with the realization of a number of breakthroughs in the intellectual property cause in recent years, China has become a veritable IP power.

China always attaches great importance to the protection of intellectual property rights, comprehensively strengthening top-level design and deepening various reforms in this field. A series of important documents released in recent years on building China into an IP power, promoting the transformation and application of patents, and strengthening the building of the IPR protection system have all demonstrated China's firm confidence in improving the IP system. The plan to establish an efficient and comprehensive IPR management system raised by the central authorities has also pointed out the direction on further strengthening IPR protection and application in China.

Since the beginning of this year, East China's Jiangsu province has actively promoted the high-level construction of national IP protection demonstration zones in Nanjing, Suzhou and Nantong, strengthening IPR protection at the source. North China's Shanxi province has launched special actions to promote patent transformation and application. By doing so it has set a precedent for other localities to emulate.

However, intellectual property infringements still take place from time to time. In particular, the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence technology, while bringing greater value to all walks of life, is fueling a considerable risk for IP infringement. The problem of easy IP infringement but difficulty in safeguarding IPR has dampened the enthusiasm of business entities for innovation and creation. China should further strengthen IPR protection and application, increase punishment for IPR violations, and improve public services for IPR.

It should be noted that deepening reform in the field of IP and promoting the establishment of an efficient and comprehensive IP management system is much needed to stimulate innovation, promote high-level opening-up and support the construction of a high-standard market system. Only in this way can China better stimulate innovation enthusiasm and inject vitality into the source of reform and innovation.