On February 28, 2026, China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) released the 49th batch of Guiding Cases focusing on strengthening judicial protection of intellectual property rights for scientific and technological innovation (最高法发布“加大科技创新知识产权司法保护力度”指导性案例). While China is not officially a common law country, the SPC releases guiding cases to promote uniformity, consistency, and predictability in legal application across the country. The guiding cases function as precedents that help judges fill gaps in legislation, handle complex or new types of cases, and standardize judicial …
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation Releases Regulations on the Protection of Trade Secrets
On February 28, 2026, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) released the Regulations on the Protection of Trade Secrets (商业秘密保护规定). The Regulations provide for an administrative enforcement mechanism for trade secret protection in addition to or in alternative to civil litigation and criminal enforcement. While damages are not available under the Regulations, injunctions and fines of up to 5 million RMB are. The Regulations go into effect June 1, 2026. A translation follows. The original text is available here …
CNIPA Releases Draft Amendments to the Measures for the Administration of Patent Priority Examination
On February 26, 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the Draft Amendments to the Measures for the Administration of Patent Priority Examination for comment (专利优先审查管理办法修改草案（征求意见稿)). However, despite Article 3 of Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights requiring national treatment, the Draft does not rectify the earlier version to provide a mechanism for foreigners to request priority examination.
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation Releases Batch of Typical IP Enforcement Cases for 2025
On February 6, 2026, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) released a batch of intellectual property enforcement cases for 2025 (市场监管总局公布一批知识产权执法典型案例). SAMR provides an administrative route for the enforcement of intellectual property in China in addition to civil and criminal enforcement mechanisms. SAMR stated that these cases were released to “fully demonstrate the firm resolve and remarkable achievements of market supervision departments in severely cracking down on infringement and counterfeiting and maintaining a fair and competitive market order.” Further, …