China Strengthens Interregional IP Protection Coordination

February 1, 2010

China has formed preliminary interregional law enforcement coordination in national IPR offices, raised case handling efficiency, saved right safeguarding costs for IPR holders and effectively stopped the disturbance to IPR law enforcement due to local protectionism. Deputy Director of the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) Gan Shaoning said that the interregional law enforcement coordination mechanism should be enhanced and thorough cooperation should be sought in collecting evidence and the receiving, transferring and disposing of cases.

SIPO stated that local IP offices should coordinate with each other in investigating and transferring cases, providing the information of the party concerned and sharing law enforcement methods. For influential cases, an announcement system, case coordination inspection system and a regular discussion system should be established and consummated. For those cases that local IP offices can not deal with, local IP offices should invite SIPO to organize and supervise the law enforcement coordination.

Up to now, the interregional law enforcement coordination has been founded in the Greater Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta, Bohai Sea Region, West of China and Northeast of China. Local jurisdictions have formed special coordination systems according to different conditions.