The Supreme People's Court (SPC) held a meeting of Leading Party Members Group on June 28, emphasizing the need to leverage the role of intellectual property (IP) adjudication in serving the nation's efforts to step up the building of a country strong in science and technology.

Zhang Jun, secretary of the Leading Party Members Group and president of the SPC, presided over the meeting and delivered a speech. Measures for the judiciary to protect IP rights in support of technological innovation were discussed and deployed at the meeting.

It was noted at the meeting that courts at all levels should strive to modernize their work on IP adjudication to enhance the vitality of all factors of production and foster a conducive environment for innovation, contributing to the development of new quality productive forces.

Participants at the meeting stressed that leveraging the function of IP adjudication is a long-term task for the people's courts to support the accelerated efforts in building China into a country strong in science and technology.

They pointed out the increasing number of cases related to technological innovation, IP rights protection, and industry-university-research institute integration, saying the expanding scope of these cases indicate the achievements made in China's scientific and technological development. It also presents new and higher requirements for IP adjudication work, they added.

It is essential to consider specific cases involving IP rights within the broader context of building a country strong in science and technology, taking into account the just handling of individual cases as well as demonstrating the country's firm resolve to safeguard IP rights, the participants said.

It was highlighted at the meeting that deepening reforms in IP adjudication work is crucial to effectively serve the accelerated efforts in building a country strong in science and technology.

It is necessary to continue advancing the reform of integrating adjudication of IP-related criminal, civil, and administrative cases, the meeting's participants said, adding that such integration needs to follow the principle that the adjudication should be most conducive to high-quality economic and social development, the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of parties involved, and the fair and efficient handling of cases.

In this way, the synergy of civil compensation, administrative duty performance, and criminal prosecution will be achieved and the overall effectiveness of IP protection be enhanced, they said.

The meeting's participants also underscored the importance of keeping pace with the evolving needs of IP development to comprehensively enhance the political integrity, professional skills, and ethical standards of IP judges.

IP judges need to bolster their capabilities in effectively addressing new situations and issues in the IP field, accurately interpreting and applying the law, and keeping updated with international IP protection rules and trends, to generate more internationally influential and pioneering IP judgments, they added.