Procuratorates urged to strengthen IPR oversight

The Supreme People's Procuratorate urged procuratorates nationwide to apply comprehensive judicial protection to intellectual property rights on Tuesday.

The top procuratorate issued a document on strengthening intellectual property rights in the new era, asking all procuratorates to provide comprehensive protection, and particularly to focus on infringement in areas that elicit strong public complaint, and expand protection of IPR in the public interest in an active, yet prudent manner.

The study of law enforcement issues like unfair competition, antimonopoly and cracking down on malicious trademark squatting was urged, so as to standardize the market order and protect fair competition.

Given the vital role business secrets play in economic development, the document explicitly called for greater effort to crack down on crimes involving intellectual property theft, inducement, fraud, coercion, electronic intrusion or other improper means, as well as stealing, spying, buying and illegally providing commercial secrets to overseas institutions, organizations and individuals.

In addition, procuratorates have been asked to actively participate in the revision and improvement of IPR laws and regulations, and especially on the improvement of IPR protection systems in new areas such as big data, artificial intelligence and genetic technology, as well as explore ways to improve internet IPR protection and strengthen international cooperation on IPR protection and crime.

Procuratorial IPR departments have been established in 20 provincial-level regions.

In 2021, procuratorates oversaw the arrest of 7,835 people on IPR infringement and prosecuted 14,020 people over such crimes, up 9.2 percent and 15.4 percent respectively, year-on-year.

According to the SPP, trademarks remain the main target of IPR infringement and many suspects committed crimes online and with the help of others.