Nanjing has been recognized as one of the first ten pilot cities and districts for intellectual property rights (IPR) protection by the China National Intellectual Property Administration.

A pilot city means the city takes strong and exemplary practices in IPR protection and development. Nanjing has made outstanding achievements in this area, such as establishing the first IPR court in China. It also ranked first in Jiangsu and third in the country for the average ownership of invention patents per 10,000 people.

The annual "No. 1 document" of the CPC Nanjing Municipal Committee has included the IPR work for five consecutive years, with the special funding exceeding 190 million yuan in 2022. For three consecutive years, Nanjing has ranked first in Jiangsu and in the top ten nationwide in the performance assessment of IPR administrative protection.

Among other measures, Nanjing has formed an expert advisory committee, optimized coordination for IPR protection, and advanced the development of the Nanjing Intellectual Property Data Center. The city has also made full use of national key laboratories and industrial innovation centers to strengthen the industrial chain.

Nanjing IPR Court (Photo courtesy of Nanjing Daily)

Nanjing's IPR court and arbitration system helps the city become a preferred place to address domestic and foreign IPR disputes. Additionally, the city's IPR talent program aims to train 100 high-end professionals in this sector. It also promotes the WIPO Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) program, creates the global intellectual property cloud expo, and facilitates international exchange and cooperation.

Furthermore, Nanjing has signed a cooperation agreement with the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on IPR financing innovation, becoming the first city in China engaged in such initiative.