In the first half year of 2015, the Administration of Industry and Commerce (AIC) actively carried out and implemented Action Plan of Deepening Implementation of National IP Strategy 2014-2020, boosted innovation and drove development, through which remarkable result has been obtained.

Firstly, the Administration of Industry and Commerce (AIC) formulated and promulgated the Regulations of Prohibiting Abuse of IP Rights to Exclude and Restrict Competition, which made competition policy more important in guiding innovation, and has been energetic in building up a market environment of stimulating innovation and fair competition. Secondly, it promoted the creation and operation of IP rights. In the first half year of 2015, the Trademark Office received 1,315,000trademark applications, with a year-on-year growth of 27.3%; and the Trademark Office also handled 338 trademark pledge registrations, with 4,529 trademarks pledged and helped enterprises finance 13.53 billion yuan; it continuously boosted the work of “trademark help farmers’ affluence”, and actively served the development of modern agriculture. Thirdly, it reinforced IP right protection. In the first half of this year, the whole AIC system received and investigated 24,000 infringement and counterfeit cases, with an amount of 380 million yuan involved, and transferred 126 cases which were suspected of crime to the judicial authorities; it also vigorously carried out the special action “2015 Red Shield and Network Sward”, and reinforced the enforcement of striking unfair competition of infringing IP rights. In the first half of this year, 2,904 unfair competition cases of infringing IP rights were investigated, with an amount of 104,294.8 thousand yuan and a total fine of 322.47 thousand yuan involved; and it also actively promoted the coordination between AIC enforcement and criminal enforcement. Fourthly, it reinforced IP administration. In the first half of this year, 1,080,000 trademark registration applications and 6,196 oppositions were examined. And it organized the amendment of Trademark Examination and Adjudication Guidelines in order to further improve the procedure of trademark examination system; it reinforced the supervision and training to trademark agencies and trademark agents. By the end of June this year, the trademark agencies recorded in the Trademark Office totaled 22,211. Fifthly, it actively carried out IP international cooperation. It strengthened the publicity and training of trademark international registration through Madrid route. In the first half of this year, there were 746 International Registrations through Madrid route, and the accumulated registrations totaled 19,387.

Release time: August 21, 2015
Source: Administration of Industry and Commerce