High Level Remarks Reemphasize China’s Strategy on Intellectual Property

President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang recently presided over high-level meetings that touched upon intellectual property rights (IPR). On November 20, President Xi Jinping led the first meeting of the leading small group on comprehensively deepening reform to occur after the 19th Party Congress. According to the official government notice, further improvement of China’s IPR legal environment was emphasized in the meeting. Specifically, the meeting mentioned strengthening innovation and reform in IPR trials and the need to fully leverage the leading role of judicial protection of IPR; “setting up IPR protection is to protect the whole concept of innovation”. 
 
Two days later, Premier Li Keqiang hosted a regular meeting of the State Council to review the status of the legal protection of property rights. China will continue to make efforts to solve the problem of the low cost of infringing upon IPRs, and the high cost of safeguarding IPRs. In addition, ‘Internet Plus’ will be leveraged to strengthen IP protection through source tracking, real-time monitoring, and online identification. Establishment of a system of punitive damages for infringement will be accelerated, and channels for quick and low-cost IPR protection will be focused in ‘advantageous industries’.