Supreme People's Court launches first national IPR court

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China's high court, the Supreme People's Court, has launched its first national-level Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Court in Beijing. The move aims to improve the protection of IPR in patent disputes and boost innovation.

It is a milestone in China's Intellectual Property Rights protection.

Judges took an oath of allegiance to the Constitution. /CGTN Photo

President of the Supreme People's Court, Zhou Qiang unveiled the new IPR court on New Year's Day. Judges of the court took an oath of allegiance to the Constitution, vowing to safeguard its authority and integrity in their work.

IPR cases can be about a broad range of topics, such as patents, copyright, trademarks, new plant varieties, integrated circuit layout designs, and monopolies.

The IPR court says it will try to conduct trial proceedings online, such as when exchanging evidence or hosting pretrial conferences.

Luo Dongchuan, vice president of the Supreme People's Court, has been newly appointed as the head of the IPR court. He is deeply knowledgeable in IPR protection, with decades of work experience in China's legal system and as a judge in several regional courts for many years.

Luo Dongchuan receives an interview with CGTN. /CGTN Photo

He said the changes to patent-related litigation procedures will help prevent inconsistencies in legal application and improve the quality and efficiency of trials. The court aims to establish a unified standard for such cases.

Litigants who disagree with the rulings of regional courts, or those of specialized IPR courts, can appeal to the top court directly, without having to first appeal at the provincial level, as previously required.

Luo said the court not only establishes a unified standard for such cases but also helps to boost technological advancement.

Chinese courts heard more than 213,000 IPR-related cases in 2017, a 40-percent increase from the total in 2016, and doubling the 2013 number.

(Head Image: President of the Supreme People's Court, Zhou Qiang unveiled the new IPR court on New Year's Day. /CGTN Photo)