Patent Data "Comes Alive," Industrial Development "Accelerates"

China Now Has 13 E-commerce Platforms Signing a Patent Evaluation Report Sharing Agreement, Covering Major Domestic Platforms

This means that from a small household appliance to a smart device, there is now a more authoritative "check-up" basis to determine whether the patent for a product on an e-commerce platform is genuine and valid. This is one of the key findings shared at the Third National Conference on Intellectual Property Informatics, recently held in Xiangtan, Hunan Province.

The conference, themed "AI-Driven Development of Intellectual Property Informatics," brought together nearly 200 representatives from government, universities, research institutions, enterprises, and service organizations. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as patent data openness, industrial application scenarios, and AI-empowered innovation. Experts noted that patent information is rapidly transitioning from "raw data" to "industrial application," becoming a key engine for cultivating new quality productive forces.

Data Openness: From "What Is Available" to "How to Use It"

Intellectual property (IP) information, especially patent data, is a foundational strategic resource for industrial innovation. In recent years, China has significantly accelerated the opening of its IP data.

In terms of scope, China has achieved full openness of four major types of IP data: patents, trademarks, integrated circuit layout designs, and geographical indications. The country has gone through four key milestones in IP data opening: in 2014, patent data sharing began under the framework of the five IP offices (China, the U.S., Europe, Japan, and South Korea); in 2018, basic Chinese trademark information was first opened; in 2021, integrated circuit layout design data was released; and in 2023, geographical indication data became available.

"Whether in terms of the content of IP data opened, data quality, or the speed and user experience of batch data downloads, we are seeing continuous improvement," said Ge Fubin, Deputy Director General of the Public Service Department of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). Notably, since 2021, China has successively launched eight patent special-subject databases in fields such as rare earths, chips, and traditional Chinese medicine, bringing the total number of patent special-subject databases for key industries to 28, thereby strengthening public service support for core technology breakthroughs.

In terms of industry-oriented service support, the pilot program for providing patent evaluation reports to e-commerce platforms has been rolled out in two phases, now covering 13 platforms, including all major domestic platforms. By providing patent evaluation reports, e-commerce platforms can accurately assess the patent status of various products on their sites, effectively supporting IP protection and compliance management.

Regarding government data sharing, through the National Integrated Government Service Platform, the CNIPA has shared 17 types of IP data with nine central government ministries (including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, and the State Administration for Market Regulation) as well as 28 local government departments. This has significantly improved the efficiency of government services, enabling "data to run more while people run less."

Data must be opened, but it must also be used effectively. To promote the development and utilization of IP data, the CNIPA released the Intellectual Property Data User Manual and Open Catalog in 2025, which systematically introduces basic concepts, usage scenarios, access methods, and related service systems. In March 2026, the CNIPA further issued the Guidelines for Intellectual Property Information Analysis and Utilization, comprehensively introducing methods and procedural norms for analyzing patent, trademark, and other information. For patent information analysis, the guidelines cover statistical analysis, monitoring and early warning, technology roadmapping, and more. For comprehensive analysis, they specifically address how to combine patent information with scientific and technical information, as well as how to integrate patent and trademark analyses.

"These guidelines and manuals are highly valuable for innovators and the public to access and utilize IP data," Ge Fubin said.

Data Application: Accelerating the Development of Application Scenarios

Data is the foundation, while application is the key. With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), the industrial application of patent intelligence is poised for new breakthroughs.

Industry players have already begun their deployment. Liu Yang, Chief Editor of the Intellectual Property Publishing House, explained that the Publishing House has been深耕 patent literature publishing and IP big data resource development for over 40 years. It possesses comprehensive and authoritative global IP data and has independently developed multiple intelligence application tools, including a global IP big data and smart service system, a patent intelligent evaluation platform, a multilingual machine translation system, and a trademark data service system. These tools provide strong support for enterprises in patent portfolio planning, technology roadmap analysis, and infringement risk assessment.

Application scenario development is accelerating. In 2025, the CNIPA issued a notice on developing "AI+" IP information public service application scenarios, aimed at further strengthening the application of AI technology in IP public services and fully unleashing the value of IP data elements. The notice outlines six major directions: identifying and cultivating high-value patents, serving innovation and creation, promoting IP transformation and utilization, supporting rights protection, optimizing management efficiency, and strengthening data security.

Local IP authorities have enthusiastically responded, submitting over 90 construction plans. After expert selection, the first batch of 18 application scenario construction projects was announced, covering 12 provinces and all six directions, with a construction period of one year. The CNIPA's Public Service Department is currently tracking the outcomes of these scenarios, extracting replicable and scalable practices to achieve the goal of "one region builds, many regions use."

AI Empowerment: Fueling New Quality Productive Forces

AI is playing an increasingly important role across the entire chain of IP governance. "From creation and utilization to protection, management, and services, every link can be empowered by AI," said Qi Yong, Dean of the Jiangsu International Intellectual Property College at Nanjing University of Science and Technology. He noted that behind every patent lies the wisdom of technological innovation, which is deeply supported by intelligence analysis.

The theme of this year's National IP Publicity Week is "Strengthening IP Protection in Emerging Fields to Accelerate the Development of New Quality Productive Forces." The national "15th Five-Year Plan" also emphasizes the need to cultivate and expand emerging industries. "Whether it is emerging fields or emerging industries, a notable feature is AI-driven development," pointed out Liu Xinmin, Chairman of the Intellectual Property Intelligence Committee of the China Society for Scientific and Technical Information and Director of the CNIPA Intellectual Property Development Research Center. He stressed that empowering the development of IP informatics with AI, translating academic achievements into new quality productive forces, and helping cultivate emerging industries and future-oriented industries is the challenge of the times for IP informatics scholars.

On April 12, the Intellectual Property Publishing House and Xiangtan University launched a strategic cooperation to further strengthen university IP information service capabilities. Liao Yong'an, President of Xiangtan University, introduced that the university's IP discipline, after more than 20 years of development, has established the first IP college in Hunan Province, a base for judicial protection research and talent training under the Supreme People's Court, and was successfully selected as one of the first batch of national university IP information service centers, receiving an "excellent" rating in evaluations organized by the Ministry of Education and the CNIPA.

From patent navigation and technology early warning to high-value patent cultivation, from e-commerce platform IP protection to overseas enterprise portfolio planning, IP information public services are rapidly extending to the industrial frontline. Experts at the conference agreed that IP informatics must not only address theoretical questions but also solve practical industrial pain points, truly serving as a bridge between innovation and the market, and providing solid support for cultivating new quality productive forces and promoting high-quality development.