From 3+N to 1+3+17 As of today, China has established the '3+17 IP Judicial System': 3 IP specialist courts, i.e. Beijing (as of Nov 6, 2014), Guangzhou (as of Dec 16, 2014) and Shanghai (as of Dec 28, 2014), respectively; 17 specialized IP tribunals, i.e. Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Hefei, Fuzhou, Jinan, Qingdao (as of 2017), Nanchang, Zhengzhou, Changsha, Tianjin, Xi’an, Shenzhen, Changchun (as of 2018), respectively. This 3+17 (regional) framework has brought IP protection in China to a new level, inter alia, in terms of harmonizing assessment criteria, promoting uniformity of the law, and improving the quality of decision making. Yet for long, there has been one key piece missing: a unitary court to handle IP appeals. The situation will change from Jan 1, 2019. From that date onwards, the specialized IP judicial system in China will be in fact…
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