An intellectual property court is expected to be unveiled in Guangdong at the end of this year, as one of the first three in the nation. It will hear cases that involve highly technical issues such as patents, new plant varieties, integrated circuit designs and technical knowledge. Last year, courts in Guangzhou settled nearly 10,000 IP cases, about one-third of the province's total and one-twelfth of the nation's. The other two new courts will be in Beijing and Shanghai.