The IP Tribunal of the Supreme Court Has Accepted Over 24,000 Cases Since Its Establishment

Since its establishment on January 1, 2019, the Intellectual Property Tribunal of the Supreme Court of China (the Tribunal) has accepted a total of 24,602 cases and concluded 23,069 ones, achieving remarkable results in unifying adjudication standards for technology-related intellectual property and monopoly appeal cases nationwide, and providing equal protection to Chinese and foreign right holders. An increasing number of foreign enterprises choose Chinese courts to resolve their intellectual property disputes.

Data shows that the Tribunal has accepted 2,546 cases involving foreign parties, accounting for 10.3% of the total, with an average annual growth rate of 18.7%. Nearly 80 judgments of the Tribunal have been included in the case databases of international organizations such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). In terms of global licensing disputes over standard essential patents (SEPs), the Tribunal has actively explored cutting-edge issues including jurisdiction, anti-suit injunctions, and royalty rate determination, providing more predictable judicial guidance for multinational corporations.

Substantial compensation awards send a clear signal: malicious infringement will incur heavy costs. The Tribunal has applied punitive damages in 58 cases, with a total compensation of 2.05 billion yuan, averaging more than 35 million yuan per case; there are 73 cases with high compensation exceeding 10 million yuan, with a total compensation of 5.24 billion yuan, averaging nearly 72 million yuan per case. This indicates that Chinese courts are forming a strong deterrent against malicious infringement acts.

The proportion of cases involving strategic emerging industries has been rising steadily, with judicial protection advancing in tandem with technological innovation. The Tribunal has accepted 6,745 cases related to strategic emerging industries, with the proportion surging from 17.6% in 2019 to 32.4% in 2025, covering areas such as patent authorization and confirmation, and infringement disputes. By exercising centralized jurisdiction over technology-related intellectual property appeal cases nationwide, the Tribunal has effectively addressed the inconsistency in adjudication standards and dispelled parties' concerns about local protectionism.