IP protection in new fields strengthened

China saw sustained improvement in the quality of its intellectual property creation in 2025, while IP protection efforts were further intensified, officials said on Thursday.

Rui Wenbiao, deputy head of the China National Intellectual Property Administration, told a news conference that China continues to lead in IP development, with 972,000 invention patents granted last year.

He said China became the first country in the world to surpass 5 million valid domestic invention patents, securing numerous pivotal patents in emerging industries such as quantum technology, biomanufacturing, brain-computer interfaces and 6G communications.

The nation also registered more than 4.2 million trademarks and 10.67 million copyrights in 2025, along with 6,986 new plant variety rights and 104 recognized geographical indication products, he said ahead of World Intellectual Property Day, which is being observed on Sunday.

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization's Global Innovation Index 2025, China climbed to 10th place, entering the global top 10 for the first time. The country now hosts 24 of the world's top 100 science and technology innovation clusters, with the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster ranked first worldwide, he said.

"Emerging fields, with their dynamic innovation, technology intensity and vast potential, are new driving forces and engines powering high-quality economic and social development," Rui said, noting that the administration has strengthened IP protection in these sectors and placed greater emphasis on ethical considerations in the application of artificial intelligence.

To better stimulate and protect innovators, Rui said, "We'll refine IP legal frameworks with other authorities to accommodate the needs and resolve issues in these rapidly growing fields."

Wang Huowang, head of the Bureau of Law Enforcement and Inspection with the State Administration for Market Regulation, said the launch of IP campaigns in emerging and e-commerce industries will be prioritized this year.

"We'll enhance proactive enforcement and forward-looking IP protection in new fields and emerging business forms such as next-generation information technology, AI, biotechnology, new energy and green environmental protection," he said.

"We're also planning to step up efforts to crack down on illegal activities, including malicious trademark squatting and trademark infringement, thereby providing stronger safeguards for the healthy development of emerging industries."

Wang Zhicheng, head of the Copyright Administration of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, highlighted the significance of copyright as a strategic resource at the news conference.

He said law enforcement agencies have intensified campaigns against piracy in key industries, including film, cultural products and youth publications, to foster healthy industrial growth and safeguard the well-being of young people.

He said this year's anti-piracy efforts will focus on audiovisual works, online literature and digital distribution. "We'll utilize advanced technologies to enhance the efficiency of crackdowns," he added.