On April 14, 2026, the Guangdong Intellectual Property Protection Center released the Notice from Guangdong Provincial Intellectual Property Protection Center on Actively Promoting the Organic Integration of Patent Pre-examination and Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) (广东省知识产权保护中心关于积极推进专利预审与PPH有机衔接的通知). The Notice explicitly links requesting pre-examination of a patent application in Guangdong to enable a quick allowance at the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) and then quick examination via the PPH at foreign patent offices. Pre-examination, which is free, can yield a Chinese patent …
China’s National Intellectual Property Administration Releases 2026 Intellectual Property Administrative Protection Work Plan – China to Toughen IP Export Control Enforcement
On April 10, 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the 2026 Intellectual Property Administrative Protection Work Plan (2026年知识产权行政保护工作方案). The Work Plan lists 12 points to accomplish in 2026. Of particular interest to foreigners is CNIPA’s plan to “strengthen coordination with the Ministry of Commerce and strictly manage the transfer of intellectual property rights abroad in technology exports in accordance with the law.” This may be in reaction to Meta’s acquisition of Manus, a Singaporean company with Chinese roots. …
China’s National Data Administration Issues Draft Guidelines for Data Property Registration (Trial) for Public Comment
On April 3, 2026, China’s National Data Administration (NDA) issued the Draft Guidelines for Data Property Registration (Trial) for Public Comment (数据产权登记工作指引（试行）》（公开征求意见稿）). These draft national Guidelines follow the limited data registration pilots in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. While the Guidelines don’t propose a new enforcement right, registered data certificates may be useful as an intangible asset that can be listed on a corporate balance sheet (thereby increasing valuation) or possible as an asset for securing a loan. Comments are due …
CNIPA Cross-Referencing Tax Records to Verify Patent Applicant Fee Reduction Eligibility
As reported by IPRlearn on March 30, 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) is now cross-referencing income, tax payments, and other records when patent applicants apply for fee reductions based on income. Corporate and individual applicants are entitled to an 85% fee reduction when annual income is less than 1 million RMB (~$145 thousand) or 60 thousand RMB (~$8,700), respectively. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office may want to consider implementing something similar to reduce false assertions of micro …