Recently, the intellectual property (IP) authorities of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui (three provinces and one municipality) jointly convened a promotion meeting on advancing the pilot implementation of IP protection in commodity trading markets. The meeting aimed to forge consensus on building standardized IP protection across markets and to discuss the coordinated rollout of the national standard Specification for Intellectual Property Protection of Commodity Trading Markets throughout the Yangtze River Delta region. Participants included officials from IP authorities of the three provinces and one municipality, representatives from pilot units implementing the standard, and personnel from local IP offices. Officials from the Protection System Development Division of the IP Protection Department of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) attended the meeting and provided guidance.

At the meeting, the Intellectual Property Office of Jiangsu Province and the Jiangsu Intellectual Property Protection Center outlined the background, implementation roadmap, and progress of the pilot program. Experts involved in the standard review provided detailed interpretations and shared practical experience. Participants conducted extensive discussions on the pathways for advancing standardization, mechanisms for regional coordination, and key tasks for the next stage for the IP protection standardization of commodity trading markets.

The meeting underscored that promoting the implementation of the national standard Specification for Intellectual Property Protection of Commodity Trading Markets is of significant importance for improving the IP protection environment in China’s commercial circulation sector and enhancing the overall level of IP protection in the distribution field. The IP authorities of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui will strengthen coordination, guide market operators in effectively implementing the standard, and continuously reinforce the responsibilities of commodity trading market administrators. Efforts will focus on strengthening governance in areas such as market access, product procurement and sales, and IP integrity. The authorities will work to develop a comprehensive regulatory framework covering the issuance and handling of infringement notifications, IP dispute resolution mechanisms, and full-chain IP protection and assistance services. Commodity trading market operators will be encouraged to integrate standard requirements into internal compliance mechanisms, continue exploring practical experience that is replicable and scalable nationwide.

The national standard Specification for Intellectual Property Protection of Commodity Trading Markets, which came into effect on July 1, 2023, is China’s first recommended national standard explicitly addressing IP protection management in commodity trading markets. It specifies the primary responsibilities and obligations of commodity trading market operators and has played a positive role in advancing IP protection in the market sector of China.