On April 29, 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the Annual Work Guidelines for Demonstration and Creation of a Strong Intellectual Property Nation (2026) (知识产权强国建设示范创建年度工作指引（2026)). On patent quality, the Guidelines reinforce the policy shift away from quantity-based metrics: project review, institutional evaluation, enterprise recognition, talent assessment, and title evaluation are to emphasize patent quality and industrialization prospects, and pre-filing evaluation mechanisms centered on industrialization prospects are to be implemented across universities, research institutions, and enterprises. Fabricated patents and …
Author: Aaron Wininger
Aaron Wininger is a Principal and Director of the China Intellectual Property at Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner.
China Retains Priority Watch List Status in USTR’s 2026 Special 301 Report, With Continuing Concerns Over Technology Transfer, Trade Secrets, and Counterfeiting
The Special 301 Report, released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on April 30, 2026, is the product of an annual review conducted pursuant to Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 and the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. The Report identifies trading partners whose acts, policies, or practices deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights or deny fair and equitable market access …
China Customs Releases 2025 Typical Cases of Intellectual Property Protection: Ten Enforcement Actions Spanning Smart Customs, Cross-Border E-Commerce, and Border Trade
On April 23, 2026, the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China released the Typical Cases of Intellectual Property Protection by China Customs in 2025 (2025年中国海关知识产权保护典型案例). The release compiles ten representative enforcement matters handled by customs offices across China, covering trademark, copyright, and design patent infringement detected at export, import, mail, and border small-scale trade channels.
China’s SPP Releases 2025 Typical Cases of Criminal Intellectual Property Protection: Ten Cases Spanning Trademark, Copyright, Trade Secret, and Geographical Indication Enforcement
On April 22, 2026, China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) releases the 2025 Typical Cases of Intellectual Property Protection by Procuratorial Organs (检察机关知识产权保护典型案例). The compilation contains ten selected matters handled by procuratorial authorities across multiple provinces, covering administrative protest proceedings, civil litigation supervision, criminal prosecution, and administrative public interest litigation.