China steps up legal protection of intellectual property rights

SHENZHEN, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese courts closed around 2.19 million lawsuits of first instance regarding intellectual property rights (IPR) between 2018 and 2022, the Supreme People's Court (SPC) said Friday.

These lawsuits have played an important part in encouraging innovation, ensuring fair competition and boosting the development of the cultural sector, the SPC said in a statement at a national meeting of courts on IPR cases held in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Since 2018, Chinese courts have issued 25 judicial explanations and regulatory documents to clarify the application of laws and standardize convictions and sentences in IPR cases, the SPC statement said.

The country now has four special IPR courts and 27 special IPR divisions at local courts, the statement said.

With the impartial and efficient trials of IPR cases, more and more foreign entities have chosen to settle their disputes at Chinese courts, the statement said.