Shanghai's intellectual property landscape continued to thrive in 2024, with the number of high-value invention patents reaching 57.9 per 10,000 residents, a 15.3 percent year-on-year increase, the local IP authority said on Feb 25.

The city also saw strong growth in international patent activity, submitting 6,822 applications via the Patent Cooperation Treaty, a 10.3 percent year-on-year growth, the Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration said at a news conference.

The city remains committed to providing equal IP protection for global innovators as part of its efforts to foster a fair and competitive business environment.

To support foreign companies, the city has strengthened communication channels, ensuring swift responses to concerns and assisting enterprises in resolving IP-related issues.

Rui Wenbiao, head of the Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration, highlighted efforts to strengthen IP protection in key sectors such as e-commerce and pharmaceutical procurement.

These measures include issuing industry guidelines to promote self-regulation, enhancing online monitoring of IP violations, and expediting patent pre-examination and priority reviews.

In 2024, Shanghai launched a series of special enforcement initiatives, tackling over 1,200 trademark infringement cases involving foreign businesses.

Shanghai has also developed a robust trademark protection system, with over 2.78 million valid registered trademarks in 2024, marking a 6.7 percent increase from the previous year. Copyright registrations surpassed 450,000, up 42.3 percent year-on-year.

"We have also set up credit profiles for patent and trademark agencies to better stimulate innovation and contribute to the creation of a favorable business environment," Rui added.

Additionally, the Shanghai-Suzhou Cluster ranked fifth among the world's top technology clusters in the Global Innovation Index 2024, published by the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Source: CCTV News