GUANGZHOU, Dec. 10 – The country’s first exclusive intellectual property court was recently established in the Zhuhai National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone in Guangdong Province.

The court will begin accepting criminal, civil and administrative cases related to intellectual property. The Guangdong High Court is hoping that a court dedicated to IP issues will be able to reform the industry and improve judgment on IP cases.

Intellectual property courts are present in selected cities and provinces but have been contained the Intermediate People’s Court. For this exclusive IP court, expert judges will be employed capable of presiding over specialized trials. The court will also be equipped with an advanced digital court system with media support and evidence collation capabilities.

Intellectual property rights have been in place in the country since 1979 but implementation has been weak at best. Foreign investors to the country are always advised to take necessary precautions to safeguard their IP rights. In China it is still easy to buy various fake products from electronics to books that are similar in appearance to the original but inferior in quality.