Recently, the Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China officially released the "Status of Intellectual Property Protection in China in 2021". The White Paper shows that in 2021, China has made positive progress in the construction of IP protection system, approval and registration, cultural development, and international cooperation etc.

In terms of protection effectiveness, China's IP protection in 2021 has been widely recognized by innovative entities in various countries and the international community. Social approval rating of IP protection continued to improve, reaching 80.61 points (percentage scale), an increase of 0.56 points over last year. According to the 2021 Global Innovation Index report released by the WIPO, China ranks 12th, rising 2 places from the previous year, and has maintained a positive trend of innovation leading for 9 consecutive years.

In terms of system construction, in 2021, China has revised and issued 2 IP-related laws and regulations; published 4 IP protection related judicial interpretations; and issued and implemented more than 20 policy documents related to IP protection.

In terms of approval and registration, the number of various types of IP approvals and registrations continued to grow, and the quality as well as efficiency of review improved significantly. In 2021, 696,000 invention patents were patented in China, a year-on-year increase of 31.3%. The number of trademark registrations was 7.739 million, a year-on-year increase of 34.3%. Domestic applicants submitted 5,928 applications for the international registration of Madrid trademarks, ranking third in the Madrid Union. The total number of copyright registrations was 6,264,400, a year-on-year increase of 24.30%. There were 9,721 applications for new varieties of agricultural plants, a year-on-year increase of 22.85%.

In terms of cultural development, in 2021, the total number of publicity reports on major topics on IP protection exceeded 100,000, and the number of participants in relevant topics on new media platforms reached nearly 4 billion.

In terms of international cooperation, China continued to deepen exchanges and cooperation with international organizations such as the WIPO and intellectual property institutions in various countries and regions, actively participated in the formulation of international rules, and promoted the development of the global IP governance system toward a more fair and reasonable direction. China has formally applied for joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Since 1998, China has compiled and released the White Paper on the Status of IP Protection for more than 20 consecutive years, introducing the status of IP protection in China to all circles at home and abroad.

(Source: the CNIPA)