In January 2025, CNIPA released the 2024 China Patent Survey Report, which provides insights into patent infringement and enforcement.
Regarding patent infringement, 8.0% of Chinese enterprise patent holders encountered patent infringement in 2024, up from 6.7% in 2023. By industry, sectors such as specialized equipment manufacturing (13.9%), rubber and plastic products (12.2%), and electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing (11.8%) reported relatively higher rates of infringement. In contrast, industries like automobile manufacturing (1.6%), and software and information technology services (3.0%) had lower rates. Over the past five years, the overall trend shows a decline in the proportion of patent holders encountering infringement.
In terms of enforcement, 84.1% of Chinese enterprises took action against patent infringement in 2024, an increase of 1.0 percentage point from the previous year. In patent infringement litigation cases, 9.5% involved high compensation amounts exceeding RMB 5 million. Enterprises expressed high approval for enforcement methods such as administrative actions, arbitration, mediation, and court litigation. However, the primary reasons for abandoning enforcement efforts included lengthy processes, insufficient funds or expertise, and low compensation amounts. The specific reasons varied across enterprises of different sizes.