Guangdong has introduced a series of initiatives to enhance the effectiveness of its intellectual property (IP) administrative protection system.

The province's IP authority has recently rolled out measures to standardize and tighten the administrative adjudication process for patent infringement disputes. These steps aim to unify judgment standards, reinforce the foundation for handling cases, and continuously strengthen the intensity of IP administrative protection.

According to data released by the China National Intellectual Property Administration, from January to July this year, Guangdong received 644 administrative adjudication cases and concluded 714, ranking first nationally in total case handling volume.

The IP authority has been optimizing the hierarchical distribution of cases. It has clarified the core adjudication responsibilities of municipal-level IP departments and strengthened the province's ability to coordinate the handling of major and complex cases. Leveraging the provisions of the Guangdong Intellectual Property Protection Regulations, the authority is using models such as municipal-level delegated case handling and joint municipal-county case handling to bolster the capacity of city-level offices. It is also reinforcing the collaborative adjudication duties of county-level authorities and the professional support functions of protection centers.

Furthermore, the authority has improved the connection mechanism between mediation and adjudication. When parties reach a settlement, mediation documents are legally and formally prepared. If mediation fails, a timely adjudication is issued according to the law, thereby strengthening the rigidity of the administrative adjudication system.

In parallel, Guangdong is advancing the reform of delegated adjudication for patent disputes. The Guangdong Intellectual Property Protection Center is now centrally handling major, difficult, and highly influential patent infringement cases from across the province.

Notably, the authority has refined the dual mechanism for ascertaining technical facts, combining "professional consultation from examination bodies" with "technical investigation officers." This system strengthens on-site support from industry technical experts to resolve difficulties in identifying facts for high-tech and complex patent cases. The authority is also deepening the connection between administrative and judicial processes, unifying adjudication and trial standards, and smoothing the channel for judicial confirmation of administrative mediation to promote the substantive resolution of disputes.

Looking ahead, Guangdong will continue to ramp up its efforts, focusing on standardized and professional management. The goal is to elevate the level of standardized performance in administrative adjudication of patent infringement disputes, providing solid support for high-standard IP protection and the province's high-quality development.