The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) has announced the establishment of 10 specialized intellectual property (IP) prosecution bases across the country, designed to handle complex cases involving new technologies, emerging business models, and cutting-edge fields. These bases will be located in the procuratorates of Beijing, Shanghai's Third Branch, Wuxi in Jiangsu, Ningbo in Zhejiang, Qingdao in Shandong, the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone, Wuhan in Hubei, Shenzhen in Guangdong, the Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, and Xi'an in Shaanxi.
An official from the SPP's IP Prosecution Department explained that the rapid advancement of the economy and technology has made IP cases more specialized and technically challenging, placing higher demands on judicial work. Given the geographical concentration of such cases, establishing these bases in regions with high caseloads and strong professional foundations will help better understand the characteristics of IP prosecution and systematically improve professional capabilities.
The primary responsibilities of these new bases include handling difficult and complex IP cases in new technological and business areas, promoting integrated IP prosecution efforts, studying trends and frontier issues in IP law, developing standards, conducting professional training, and engaging in public legal education. Improving the quality and efficiency of handling complex IP cases is the core objective of this initiative.
The SPP has instructed provincial-level procuratorates to view the construction of these bases as a key driver for high-quality development, urging them to establish operational rules, refine case-handling mechanisms, and innovate procedures. The bases are expected to lead in strengthening judicial protection for original innovation and core technology patents, serving as pilots to elevate overall IP prosecution standards nationwide.
Building a skilled professional team is essential for the bases' success. The SPP emphasized that each base should assemble comprehensive talent covering criminal, civil, administrative, and public interest litigation aspects of IP, cultivating a workforce with both legal expertise and technical knowledge. To enhance capabilities, the SPP will annually select and assign IP prosecution specialists to work at various bases, while also organizing seminars, theoretical research projects, and court trial evaluations to foster continuous improvement.