As 2026 marks the first year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, the field of intellectual property (IP) is stepping into a strategic transition period from "scale expansion" to "quality improvement". Based on the institutional accumulation during the 14th Five-Year Plan and the latest deployments of the 15th Five-Year Plan, this article focuses on the achievements of IP legal revisions and practical innovations, presenting the core dynamics and development opportunities of the Chinese market for international practitioners.
I. Core Achievements of the 14th Five-Year Plan: Dual Breakthroughs in Legal System and Practical Efficiency
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China's IP field achieved a historic leap, providing a practical model for global IP governance:
1. Continuous Improvement of the Legal System: Completed the comprehensive revision of the Patent Law and its implementing rules, established an internationally high-standard punitive damages system for infringement, and updated the Patent Examination Guidelines simultaneously, forming a closed-loop legal guarantee.
2. World-Leading Protection and Creation Efficiency: The average examination cycle for invention patents was shortened to 15 months, and the average examination cycle for trademark registration remained stable at 4 months; the number of PCT international patent applications ranked first in the world for many consecutive years, and the number of Hague System design applications and Madrid international trademark applications remained among the top in the world.
3. Mature Mechanism for Handling Foreign-Related Disputes: Established 116 overseas IP dispute response and guidance platforms, handled more than 4,200 disputes cumulatively, and helped enterprises recover nearly RMB 41 billion in losses; cooperated with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to build 202 Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs), forming the world's largest service network in terms of quantity, coverage, and service content.
4. In-Depth Expansion of International Cooperation: Established the China-Central Asia IP cooperation mechanism, deepened cooperation among the IP5 (China, the US, Europe, Japan, and South Korea) and between China and ASEAN IP offices; completed the registration of 70 French Burgundy geographical indications (GIs) in China, and the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) covered 86 countries, with the cross-border protection cooperation network continuously expanding.
II. New Blueprint for the 15th Five-Year Plan: Key Directions for Legal Evolution and Practice
During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China's IP work will focus on "quality improvement", presenting five key priorities in terms of legal improvement and practical implementation:
1. Upgraded Legal Guarantee and Foreign-Related Protection: Strengthen the legal regulation of key areas such as standard-essential patents (SEPs), and establish a standardized foreign-related risk early warning process; encourage practitioners to integrate multiple rights protection channels including administrative, judicial, arbitration, and mediation, and optimize dispute resolution schemes for scenarios such as overseas exhibitions.
2. Release of IP Application Efficiency: Promote the trademark brand strategy and the GI application promotion project, guide the cultivation of internationally renowned brands and GI characteristic industries through legal policies, and support the global layout of Chinese brands.
3. Improved Quality and Efficiency of Service System: Deepen the reform of the business environment in the IP field, promote the replication of local pilot experiences; cultivate professional foreign-related service institutions, and require practitioners to enhance their practical capabilities in overseas services to meet the internationalization needs of enterprises.
4. International Cooperation and Rule Co-Construction: Deeply participate in global governance under the framework of WIPO, promote the formulation of international rules for new fields such as artificial intelligence; deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and with Global South countries, consolidate institutional cooperation among the IP5, BRICS countries, etc., and expand pragmatic small-multilateral cooperation such as China-ASEAN and China-Mongolia-Russia.
5. Strengthened Talent Support System: Co-establish international IP colleges, improve the university professional degree system, and increase the training of foreign-related patent lawyers; encourage practitioners to pursue self-improvement and build an internationalized and professional talent team.
From the institutional consolidation during the 14th Five-Year Plan to the quality leap during the 15th Five-Year Plan, China's IP legal system and practical ecology are continuously optimizing. Only by grasping the direction of legal revisions and focusing on practical innovation scenarios can international practitioners achieve value co-creation in cross-border IP services and jointly depict a new picture of global IP governance.
AIPPI China
Tel: +86 10 6604 6121
Email: aippichina@ccpit-patent.com.cn
Link: www.aippi.org.cn
