A landmark piece of legislation, marking the province's first comprehensive local regulation dedicated to the intellectual property sector, was passed during the 24th session of the provincial people's congress standing committee. This new framework, known as the Gansu Province Intellectual Property Promotion and Protection Regulation, is scheduled to come into force on September 1, 2026, according to a recent announcement from a provincial government press conference.
Structured into five distinct chapters with a total of 53 articles, the regulation covers general provisions, promotion, protection, service and management, and supplementary clauses. This design creates a holistic institutional framework that addresses the entire intellectual property lifecycle, aiming to accelerate the province's drive to become a strong IP hub, invigorate the creativity of innovators, foster new productive forces, and underpin the province's high-quality economic and social development with robust legal support.
The regulation establishes a comprehensive protection system from multiple angles, reinforcing policy safeguards, enhancing integrated governance mechanisms, and building a framework for collaborative protection. These measures are designed to provide solid institutional backing for the effective implementation of various protection strategies. To address persistent bottlenecks in intellectual property rights maintenance—often criticized for the difficulty of evidence collection, lengthy processes, and prohibitive costs—the regulation introduces a series of specifically tailored provisions. Furthermore, it places particular emphasis on safeguarding intellectual property in crucial sectors and strengthening the protection of geographical indications.
On the whole, the regulation combines substantive protection rules with auxiliary support mechanisms, creating a seamless loop that connects institutional design, practical application, and supporting safeguards. The primary objectives are to meaningfully reduce the costs associated with rights enforcement while simultaneously boosting its efficiency, thereby fostering a climate in which innovators are encouraged to create and empowered to defend their rights.
The enactment of this regulation holds significant practical value for the province's innovative development. It is anticipated to stimulate social creativity, direct diverse innovators toward priority industries, and facilitate the generation of more high-value intellectual property assets. By integrating intellectual property more deeply into the industrial and supply chains, the regulation aims to leverage policy dividends to facilitate the transformation and upgrade of traditional industries while nurturing the growth of emerging sectors. It also works to perfect the operational framework for rigorous, comprehensive, rapid, and equitable protection, further clarifying the obligations of administrative bodies, judicial organs, market participants, and social organizations to create a powerful deterrent against infringement. To address gaps in public services related to intellectual property, the regulation supports ongoing enhancements to foster a business environment defined by fair competition, thereby solidifying the legal foundation for innovation in the province's modernization efforts.
For the successful implementation of this regulation, the provincial Administration for Market Regulation will work alongside other relevant departments to conduct thorough communication campaigns and business training, and to accelerate the development of supporting measures. Concurrently, efforts will be channeled into improving the quality and effectiveness of public services, fully unleashing the guiding and supportive power of local legislation, and persistently advancing the overarching framework for comprehensive intellectual property protection.