China plans to restructure the State Intellectual Property Office to strengthen protection of intellectual property rights, according to a document available to the media on March 13. The move aims to strengthen the creation, protection and application of intellectual property rights (IPR), and speed up making China a country of innovators. The office will incorporate part of functions of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, to solve problems including separated administration and overlapping enforcement. The new agency will be responsible for facilitating the construction of an IPR protection system, and the registration and administrative adjudication of trademarks, patents and geographical indications.

Source: Xinhua