China's First Patent, Trademark & Copyright Integrated IP Office to Start Operation in January 2015

The Pudong New Area Intellectual Property Office – China's first IP office empowered with integrated responsibilities for administration and law enforcement of patents, trademarks, and copyright – was set up in Pudong New Area of Shanghai on 16 November 2014.

 

This new IP office, scheduled to start operation on 1 January 2015, is an institutional innovation in the way that it has unified authority over the three IP areas of patents, trademarks and copyright, which are otherwise regulated in China by different agencies, namely, the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), the State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC), and the National Copyright Administration (NCA) respectively. The IP office, rather than structured along the divisions of patents, trademarks and copyright, will handle matters related to these IP rights collectively along such functional divisions as IP protection, administration, and law enforcement.  

 

The IP office is expected to serve as a pilot in aligning China's IP administration and law enforcement with international practice, as well as improving the efficiency of providing protection for the IP rights and interests of individuals and enterprises.