On August 3, 2026, China published the revised Regulations on the Protection of Layout Designs of Integrated Circuits (集成电路布图设计保护条例). The revised text was adopted at the 91st executive meeting of the State Council on July 10, 2026 and promulgated on July 23, 2026. It takes effect on October 15, 2026, per Article 54 of the Regulations. This is the first systematic revision of the Regulations since 2001.
China’s State Council Releases 15th Five-Year Plan for Intellectual Property Protection and Utilization
On July 31, 2026, China’s State Council released the 15th Five-Year Plan for Intellectual Property Protection and Utilization (知识产权保护和运用“十五五”规划). Per the Plan, China will revise the implementing rules of the Regulations on the Protection of New Plant Varieties, improve the system for the protection of trade secrets, improve the anti-monopoly system in the field of intellectual property, and revise the Customs Protection Regulations on Intellectual Property. Further, China will improve the intellectual property protection system in emerging fields including algorithms …
CNIPA Releases Revised Measures for Administration of Priority Examination of Patents Excluding Foreigners
Only July 30, 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the revised Measures for Administration of Priority Examination of Patents (Order No. 85) (专利优先审查管理办法（局令第85号）) effective September 1, 2026. Unlike the United States Patent & Trademark Office’s (USPTO) prioritized examination system, foreigners do not appear eligible to use China’s priority examination system.
CNIPA Releases FAQ on Entering the National Phase in China from Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Applications
On July 23, 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding International Applications Entering into the China National Phase (国际申请进入中国国家阶段常见问题咨询). A translation follows. The original is available here (Chinese only).