State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO)
| Commissioner: | Tian Lipu |
| Deputy Commissioners: | Lin Binghui Zhang Qin Li Yuguang He Hua Yang Tiejun |
| Secretary General: | Chen Zonghua |
| Address: | 6 Xituchenglu, Jimenqiao, Haidian District, Beijing 100088 |
| Telephone: | 86-10-6208-3114 |
| E-mail: | spokesman@sipo.gov.cn |
| Website: | www.sipo.gov.cn |
| Departments: | General Office; Human Resources; Legal Affairs; International Cooperation; Coordination Administration; Planning and Development; Discipline Inspection Group and Supervision Bureau; CCP Committee; Personnel and Education; Patent Affairs Administration; Information Automation; Preliminary Examination and Flow Management; Patent Documentation |
- Draft and publicizes rules, regulations, and policies related to patents and intellectual property rights
- Negotiate intellectual property rights (IPR) matters with foreign parties and organizes international IPR cooperation
- Draft development plans for IPR work and patent information network plans
- Oversee formulation of standards for determining patent verification and violations
- Help local areas handle patent disputes and prosecute violations
- Designate foreign-related proxy patent agencies
SIPO, in cooperation with State administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) and the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP), has responsibility for trademark and copyright applications and management. In 1998, SIPO acquired the now-defunct State Patent Bureau's portfolio, which entails managing patent applications and grants. With China's entry into the WTO and an increasing emphasis on the enforcement of the Trademark, Patent, and Copyright laws, SIPO's authority is increasing. But much of China's IPR monitoring and enforcement responsibilities are scattered among various agencies such as MOFCOM, Ministry of Culture, and Customs, in addition to SAIC and GAPP.
Because of a shortage of qualified IPR judges and enforcement officers, SIPO has helped organize training programs for judges on IPR laws and promoted the teaching of IPR in universities. In a related move, SIPO helped set up the China IP Training Center in 1998 to train academic and industry officials in IP affairs to prepare them for jobs in IP departments. A shortage of agents authorized to accept foreign copyright, trademark, and patent applications has made registration difficult, sometimes prolonging the approval process for years. Enforcement agencies also often lack the political and material resources to track down violators.
Low domestic appreciation for patents, administrative and bureaucratic jurisdictional wrangling, legal loopholes, and continued incentives to infringe upon intellectual property rights have made SIPO's job increasingly difficult. SIPO Commissioner Wang Jingchuan has discussed the importance of raising awareness among the Chinese public in recent speeches. With China's entry into the WTO and a number of new regulations designed to bring China's IPR regime up to international standards, SIPO faces increased pressure, from both foreign and domestic companies, to crackdown on IPR violations. Enforcement, especially at the provincial level and along borders, remains SIPO's greatest challenge.
Return to PART VI: State Council Directly Administered Offices