A 2026 event focused on building an international intellectual property (IP) service system was held yesterday in Pudong New Area, aiming to continuously upgrade foreign-related IP services and empower enterprises to use international rules to enhance their global competitiveness.
Deputy Director Yu Chen of the Shanghai Municipal Intellectual Property Administration stated that Shanghai is currently aligning with the "15th Five-Year Plan" deployment, actively embracing the wave of emerging industries such as artificial intelligence, continuously benchmarking against the highest international standards and best practices, deepening IP reform and innovation, and persistently building itself into an international IP center city.
Under the guidance of the China National Intellectual Property Administration, Shanghai will deepen practical cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), support the development of the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Center, and assist Pudong in strengthening its foreign-related IP service system. This will help small and medium-sized enterprises improve their capabilities in international IP layout and overseas operations.
Lu Guoqiang, head of the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Center, noted that since its operation, the center has focused on the needs of enterprises and various entities, resolving foreign-related IP disputes through mediation and arbitration. In particular, it has collaborated with courts, using a litigation-mediation interface to resolve a number of foreign-related IP disputes, which has been welcomed by both Chinese and foreign parties. He hopes this training will help enterprises better understand and utilize the WIPO global service system, better serve Pudong enterprises going global, and support Pudong's industrial and economic development.
Liu Chunmei, Party Secretary of the Pudong New Area Intellectual Property Administration, stated that Pudong, as a gateway for opening up and an important bridgehead for enterprises going global, currently has over 3,000 enterprises with overseas expansion plans, with three leading industries deeply involved in global competition. Enterprises going global frequently encounter various challenges such as cross-border IP layout, compliance, and rights protection, creating an urgent need for specialized foreign-related services. Leveraging professional resources like the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Center, and with support from the municipal bureau, Pudong will build three major systems: pre-emptive empowerment, integrated services, and international coordination, to improve its overseas IP protection network.
During the event, Lu Guoqiang focused on international IP dispute resolution, introducing WIPO arbitration and mediation services and related cases, providing effective pathways for enterprises to resolve foreign-related IP disputes. Experts from the Patent Office of the China National Intellectual Property Administration offered practical guidance on PCT international application procedures and layout strategies, helping enterprises with international patent portfolio planning and risk avoidance. Experts from the Trademark Office of the China National Intellectual Property Administration presented and interpreted the latest examination practices and key points for Madrid international trademark registrations. Specialists from the Pudong New Area Intellectual Property Administration introduced local policies and services supporting enterprises in overseas IP rights protection.
The foreign-related IP service system building event was co-hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Intellectual Property Administration and the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Center, and organized by the Pudong New Area Intellectual Property Administration. It attracted over 100 participants from local enterprises, IP service and agency firms, universities, and research institutions.