Intellectual Property Newsletter by MeritsIP, October 15, 2025

Intellectual Property Newsletter by MeritsIP, October 15, 2025

October 15, 2025 global, meritsip 0 Comments

Editor’s Note: Intellectual Property Highlights and Strategies for Innovation

Welcome to the MeritsIP Newsletter. We delve into critical updates in the intellectual property landscape, providing insights and strategies to help you navigate the ever-evolving world of patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Read on to stay informed and ahead in the game of innovation.

Qinghai Province Trials Patent Declaration System to Improve the Quality and Efficiency of Scientific Research Projects

On October 10, the Qinghai Provincial Intellectual Property Office, the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, and the Provincial Department of Finance jointly announced a pilot patent declaration system for major provincial science and technology special projects funded by provincial finance. Focusing on projects starting in 2026 and later, the system aims to strengthen IPR management, promote the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and improve the use efficiency of fiscal funds.

The system integrates patent declarations into project initiation, implementation, and acceptance, combining IPR and project management. This enhances the responsibility of project – undertaking units, improves IPR creation and utilization, clarifies the patent – project connection, and promotes market – oriented innovation achievements. A cross – departmental mechanism also enables more scientific evaluations and acceptance, increasing management transparency and fund – use efficiency.

The provincial intellectual property office will optimize operations, share data, and apply results to create replicable local experience, support a high – quality IPR ecosystem, and boost Qinghai’s innovation and industrial competitiveness.

Beijing Accelerates the Construction of a New Intellectual Property Service Ecosystem

Beijing is speeding up the construction of a new intellectual property (IP) service ecosystem. The Beijing Intellectual Property Office, in cooperation with district – level authorities, uses a “multi – party linkage and professional empowerment” service model to boost the high – quality development of the Zhongguancun National IP Service Industry Agglomeration and Development Demonstration Zone. This model offers enterprises services like policy consultation and expert guidance to address IP management pain points.

For a national IP demonstration enterprise in Haidian, the office and the local market supervision bureau organized two high – quality IP service institutions. They gave advice on open – source software application, guided on overseas patent strategies, and provided fast – track rights – protection. As a result, the e – commerce platform took down 28 infringing links and closed 4 illegal stores in 5 days.

Via the city – district linkage, the office has offered free and targeted IP services to 35 tech companies in key industries. This promotes the integration of IP services with innovation needs and enhances enterprises’ IP capabilities.

Next, the office will strengthen city – district cooperation, pool resources, and accelerate the construction of the Zhongguancun zone, supporting Beijing to become a national IP – strong demonstration city and an international science and innovation center.

Zhejiang Issues Group Standard for Intangible Cultural Heritage Intellectual Property Protection

Recently, under the guidance of the Zhejiang Provincial Intellectual Property Office, the “Guidelines for Intellectual Property Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage” was issued. It is the first national group standard for the protection of intangible cultural heritage intellectual property. The guidelines summarize Zhejiang’s practical experience in this area, systematically stipulating nine major categories of content such as general principles and rights – protection. It requires relevant entities to establish management mechanisms, allocate professional staff, and standardize work processes. This provides scientific and operable protection guidelines for intangible cultural heritage inheritors and fills the gap in domestic normative guidance documents for intellectual property protection in this field.

China’s Intellectual Property Protection Network: Zhengzhou Leads in Central Region

As of now, Zhengzhou, Henan, leads the central region with 787,000 valid trademark registrations. This year, its IP work, centered on high – quality development, has achieved remarkable results. In innovation, it has 44,000 valid invention patents, about 16,000 high – value ones, and over 12 per 10,000 people, winning multiple awards in the 25th China Patent Award. The transformation and application of IP are significant, with over 110 million yuan in patent transformation in universities and institutes, and growing IP pledge financing. The protection system has been upgraded, including improving overseas dispute response, establishing a protection list, and deepening cross – departmental collaboration. To contribute to the unified national market, Zhengzhou will focus on five tasks: stimulating high – value creation, promoting transformation and application, improving protection efficiency, optimizing the service system, and strengthening support and guarantee.

China, the US, Europe, Japan, and South Korea Jointly Release User Handbook on Reexamination and Invalidation Procedures

Recently, the 2025 IP5 Heads of Reexamination Agencies Meeting and a series of related events were held in Fuzhou. During the conference, the reexamination agencies of the five intellectual property offices jointly released the “User Handbook on Reexamination and Invalidation Procedures of the IP5” for the first time. This initiative has garnered widespread attention and high praise from global innovation entities.

As the first collective, user-oriented achievement stemming from the series of meetings held by the IP5 reexamination agencies, the Handbook holds milestone significance. The proposal for the Handbook was initiated by the Reexamination and Invalidation Department of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). All five offices collaboratively provided information, reviewed, and confirmed the content, with CNIPA ultimately consolidating and compiling the material.

The Handbook covers core content such as the institutional information of the five reexamination agencies, their trial procedures, and amendment rules. It is presented in both Chinese and English, aiming to assist users in navigating the transnational patent grant and validation processes.

South Korea Officially Establishes “Ministry of Intellectual Property”

On October 1, 2025, South Korea officially established the “Ministry of Intellectual Property” (MOIP), marking the world’s first initiative to elevate intellectual property affairs to a national ministerial level. The new ministry, upgraded from the former Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), will now report directly to the Prime Minister of South Korea, signifying a strategic enhancement of the country’s intellectual property governance system.

The predecessor of KIPO can be traced back to the Patent Office established under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in 1946, which underwent multiple reorganizations and name changes over the years. This upgrade to a ministry reflects South Korea’s commitment to meeting the higher demands of national intellectual property strategy and management coordination in the new era.

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Daren Tang, visited Seoul from October 1 to 2, 2025, and warmly congratulated the South Korean government on this initiative during his meetings with high-level officials. On October 2, Tang also met with South Korean Prime Kim Min-suk, once again extending his congratulations on the establishment of the new Ministry of Intellectual Property.

The establishment of South Korea’s Ministry of Intellectual Property is expected to strengthen the coordination and management of intellectual property affairs, further advancing the development of the country’s intellectual property landscape.

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