China Intellectual Property News:

With the digital economy expanding rapidly, can you introduce the innovation of China's digital economy from the perspective of IP rights? What specific measures are being considered to ensure IP rights support digital economic development? Thank you.

Shen Changyu:

Thank you for your questions. I will invite Mr. Ge Shu to answer them.

Ge Shu:

Thank you. The added value of the digital economy has become a key engine of China's growth, with core digital industries contributing 10% to GDP in 2023. Innovation in this sector has been particularly dynamic, as evidenced by our IP metrics. In 2023, core digital industries received 406,000 invention patent authorizations, representing 45% of the national total. This sector has maintained a robust average annual growth rate of 21% over the past five years. By the end of 2023, there were 155,000 domestic enterprises holding digital economy-related invention patents, an increase of 31,000 from the previous year. In particular, innovation in the field of artificial intelligence has been notably vigorous. By the end of 2023, the number of valid AI invention patents in China reached 378,000, with a year-on-year growth rate exceeding 40%, which is 1.4 times the global average growth rate.

While domestic innovation accelerates, foreign enterprises continue to strengthen their patent portfolios in China's digital economy core industries. By the end of 2023, companies from 93 countries and regions held valid invention patents in China's digital economy core industries, of which 61.8% belonged to the digital product manufacturing sector.

The third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee emphasized the need to accelerate the establishment of systems and mechanisms to promote the development of the digital economy. The data IP system serves as the fundamental framework for digital economic development. In recent years, we have focused on IP functions and actively explored establishing data IP protection rules to enhance and strengthen the digital economy. We have achieved initial results. This includes proposing the "four full considerations" basic principles for building a data IP system and conducting in-depth research on key issues such as data IP protection targets, responsible entities, registration methods, rights content, protection methods and application models, laying a solid theoretical foundation for building a data IP system. At the same time, data IP pilot projects have been launched in 17 provinces and cities across the country, with over 8,700 data IP registration certificates issued, and data IP pledge financing exceeding 5.5 billion yuan. On this basis, we drafted policy documents on data IP, established registration management standards, and designed a national unified data IP registration certificate. We are accelerating the establishment of a national data IP registration platform and related information systems to support data IP registration at the national level.

Next, we will earnestly implement the important reform arrangements for digital economy development outlined at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. We will continue to strengthen coordination with relevant departments and better leverage IP as a fundamental safeguard for innovation. Additionally, we will actively promote the establishment of a national-level data IP system to better support the development of the digital economy. Thank you.