China releases 2026 Plan for Building an Intellectual Property Powerhouse
On 16 May 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) formally published the 2026 Plan for Building an Intellectual Property Powerhouse, following its approval by the Inter-Ministerial Joint Conference on Building an Intellectual Property Powerhouse. The Plan implements the Outline for Building an Intellectual Property Powerhouse (2021–2035) and assigns specific responsibilities across multiple government departments and agencies.
Made up of 106 action items organised into seven chapters, the Plan covers the full spectrum of IP governance, from legislative reform and judicial enforcement to market-oriented IP commercialisation, public services, talent development and international engagement.
The following sections highlight the key areas of focus most relevant to businesses and brand owners.
Key highlights
Refining the IP legal framework
The Plan prioritises the revision of foundational IP statutes, calling for accelerating changes to the Trade Mark Law and Regulations on the Protection of Layout Designs of Integrated Circuits. On the copyright front, the Plan calls for the revision of the Implementing Regulations of the Copyright Law, Regulations on Collective Copyright Management, and Regulations on the Protection of the Right of Communication through Information Networks, while proposing new legislation to protect the copyright of folk literary and artistic works.
Additionally, the Plan promotes the revision of customs IP protection regulations and legislation on the protection of traditional Chinese medicine knowledge.
Emerging fields: data IP, AI and blockchain
The Plan makes a commitment to initiating pilot programmes on data IP rights and exploring IP protection rules for big data, artificial intelligence, blockchain and other emerging sectors. It also calls for refining rules governing open-source IP. These initiatives reflect China’s efforts to build a regulatory framework in step with rapid technological development and digital innovation.
Strengthening IP protection and enforcement
A major focus of the Plan is bolstering both judicial and administrative IP protection. On the judicial side, the Plan calls for optimising the appellate review mechanism for IP cases at the national level, issuing guidelines on trade mark administrative cases and plant variety rights disputes, deepening specialised IP prosecution and strengthening the prosecution of trade secret infringement cases. It also mandates the use of the “Kunlun” (昆仑) proactive investigation model to maintain high-pressure criminal enforcement against IP crimes. On the administrative enforcement side, the Plan launches a series of targeted campaigns, including the “Sword Net 2026” action against online piracy, the “Sword Shadow 2026” campaign to protect film copyrights in cinemas, the “Dragon Soaring” (龙腾) customs enforcement operation and dedicated enforcement in emerging sectors and e-commerce.
The Plan also places notable emphasis on trade secret protection, calling for the formulation of a national-level opinion on strengthening trade secret protection, the development of related protection standards, continued pilot programmes on trade secret protection innovation nationwide, and the establishment of dynamic priority lists of key industries and enterprises for trade secret protection.
Cross-border and coordinated enforcement
The Plan strengthens coordination between administrative enforcement and judicial protection, promoting cross-departmental and cross-regional enforcement cooperation. It also targets enhanced protection of foreign-related IP rights, including improved early-warning mechanisms for overseas IP risks and support for Chinese enterprises exhibiting abroad. Additionally, the Plan promotes the continued development of IP protection centres and rapid rights-defence centres, as well as multi-channel dispute resolution through administrative adjudication, mediation and arbitration.
Improving IP market mechanisms and commercialisation
The Plan places significant emphasis on converting IP into economic value. Key measures include intensifying efforts against bad-faith patent applications and trade mark registrations that violate good faith principles, advancing “on-demand” patent examination and strengthening patent navigation services for key industries. The Plan also promotes open patent licensing to accelerate technology transfer from laboratories to industry and supports the cultivation of patent-intensive and copyright industries. Notably, the Plan encourages the use of artificial intelligence to facilitate patent commercialisation.
IP finance and knowledge-based capital
The Plan promotes the steady development of IP finance, leveraging national service platforms to advance IP pledge financing, securitisation and insurance. It supports pilot programmes integrating insurance services across the full IP lifecycle and encourages the increased use of IP-backed securities. These measures are expected to improve access to capital for innovative enterprises by unlocking the financing potential of intangible assets.
International IP governance and cooperation
The Plan underscores China’s ambition to play a more active role in global IP governance. It commits to participating in the World Intellectual Property Organisation framework, contributing to the development of international rules on AI and other emerging technologies, and engaging in multilateral platforms such as the WTO and APEC. The Plan also deepens Belt and Road IP cooperation and promotes substantive negotiations on international copyright treaties, including the Treaty on the Protection of Broadcasting Organisations. For businesses, the Plan enhances overseas IP service systems, including early-warning platforms and enforcement guidance for Chinese enterprises operating internationally.
IP services and talent development
The Plan addresses the quality and regulation of IP services, mandating intensified enforcement against IP agencies engaged in improper practices and establishing long-term supervisory mechanisms for the IP agency industry. The Plan also calls for strengthening the training of patent lawyers specialising in foreign-related IP matters and actively cultivating IP service institutions with cross-border capabilities, which could benefit both Chinese enterprises expanding overseas and foreign businesses operating in China. It also promotes the development of high-level IP think tanks and the joint establishment of an international IP academy, reflecting China’s ambition to build domestic capacity in international IP governance and dispute resolution.
Summary
The Plan represents a comprehensive and action-oriented roadmap for advancing China’s IP regime in 2026, signalling continued progress in legislative reform with the Trade Mark Law revision and updates to copyright and other IP-related regulations at the forefront. The expanded focus on data IP, AI and blockchain reflects China’s ambition to be a leader in establishing IP norms for emerging technologies. The emphasis on stronger enforcement (e.g. dedicated criminal enforcement campaigns, trade secret protection and targeted crackdowns on online piracy and cinema piracy), combined with greater coordination across government agencies, suggests that rights holders can expect a more robust and demanding IP landscape in China.
For brand owners and foreign-invested enterprises operating in China, the Plan reinforces the importance of proactive IP management.
Businesses should monitor the progress of the Trade Mark Law revision, assess the implications of new data and AI-related IP rules for their operations, ensure that enforcement and opposition strategies are aligned with the tighter administrative enforcement environment, and consider leveraging the expanded IP finance tools, such as pledge financing and securitisation, to gain greater value from their IP portfolios.
The original publication can be found here (Chinese only).
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