The State Intellectual Property Office ("SIPO") has recently distributed the Circular on Developing Capacities of Intellectual Property Arbitration and Mediation Organizations (the "Circular").
The Circular states that the SIPO will select 20 to 30 arbitration and mediation organizations, specialized in intellectual property ("IP") cases, every year for the capacity development program which will last for two years for each organization. Where an organization has effectively accomplished tasks in essence, with its competence greatly improved and practically contributing to the resolution of IP disputes, when the two-year period expires, its basic information, business specialties and unique advantages will be made public. Moreover, it is expected to promote around 100 IP arbitration and mediation organizations to practically enhance their respective integrated competence in three to five years. According to the Circular, an arbitration committee, a mediation committee, a center for assistance in the legal protection of intellectual property rights ("IPR"), a center for rapid legal protection of IPRs, an IP protection center, a social group of another kind, or an industry association, may be the entity to apply for engaging in the capacity development program, if it meets three conditions: (1) being qualified as a legal person; (2) having been established for at least three years; and (3) engaging in IP arbitration and mediation as its major business, or having an internal department particularly established for IP arbitration and mediation.