Beijing: Nation's First IP Court Opens
The first special court for intellectual property rights (IPR) cases opens on November 3, 2014. Two similar courts in Shanghai and Guangzhou will open by the end of this year.
The new intellectual property court has a mandate to deal with issues connected to things such as patents and technical design disputes which the regular court system in China would normally struggle with.
An Fengde is a spokesperson for the Beijing Higher Court, which oversees the new intellectual property court.
"Now that the intellectual property court has been established, the IPR trial divisions in Beijing's three intermediate courts have been done away with. Intellectual property cases that would have been heard at these courts will all go to the intellectual property court."
Local courts will still have jurisdiction over smaller civil cases connected to intellectual property disputes.
An Fengde says the authorities chose Beijing as the first city to establish an IPR court because the capital has an established history of hearing intellectual property cases.
"Back in 1993, Beijing set up the country's first trial divisions. Last year, courts in the city dealt with over 15 thousand intellectual property cases, making up 13-percent nationwide. All administrative appeals made after government rulings are heard in Beijing courts."
The number of intellectual property cases in Beijing is soaring.
Through the first ten months of this year, Beijing's courts have seen intellectual property cases increase by 180-percent compared to last year.
Su Chi is the lead judge in the new Intellectual Property Court.
"The establishment of the intellectual property court signifies that the protection of Intellectual Property Rights has entered a new phase. Moreover, the court is a product of our new judicial reforms. There is no doubt the new court is going to face many new challenges. But every step forward we make will only help make for a better legal system in the future."
Two more intellectual property courts are set to be established in the cities of Guangzhou and Shanghai before the year is out.