The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service handled 71 cases in 2025, up about 45 percent year-on-year. This reflects rising demand for neutral, efficient mechanisms to resolve foreign-related intellectual property disputes involving Chinese and overseas parties.

Since it began formal operations in October 2020, the Shanghai service has handled more than 200 cases, with a mediation success rate of about 60 percent for cases with appointed mediators.

Registered in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone in October 2019, the Shanghai service is the first international institution approved by the Ministry of Justice to conduct arbitration and mediation of foreign-related IP disputes in China.

Mediation has become a major pathway for resolving disputes, allowing parties to address IP disputes across multiple jurisdictions in a single procedure, reducing confrontation, litigation costs, and the risk of inconsistent outcomes.

Supported by the Supreme People's Court, the Shanghai service has established mediation mechanisms in collaboration with high courts in several domestic regions, with court-referred foreign-related IP cases accounting for over 90 percent of its total.

This cooperation model has been well received by Chinese and foreign parties, becoming an dispute resolution example recommended by WIPO.

The Shanghai service will further strengthen cooperation with courts and IP authorities to improve coordination among litigation, mediation, and arbitration, offering convenient, efficient services for addressing foreign-related IP disputes.

Source: Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration