Recently, the State Council Information Office held a press conference where relevant leading officials of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) introduced the intellectual property work in 2025, as detailed below:
(I) Patents
A total of 972,000 invention patents, 1.461 million utility model patents and 666,000 design patents were granted throughout the year. 96,000 patent reexamination and invalidation cases were concluded. The examination cycle for invention patents was shortened to 15 months, and the case conclusion accuracy rate was raised to 95.6%. 78,000 PCT international patent applications were accepted. Chinese patent applicants filed 2,844 international design applications under the Hague Agreement.
By the end of 2025, the number of valid invention patents in China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) reached 5.32 million, and the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 people reached 16.
(II) Trademarks
4.206 million trademarks were registered throughout the year, 384,000 various trademark review cases and 112,000 opposition cases were concluded. The average examination cycle for trademark registration was stably maintained at 4 months, with the examination qualification rate exceeding 97%. 6,718 international trademark registration applications under the Madrid System filed by Chinese applicants were received.
By the end of 2025, the number of valid registered trademarks in China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) reached 49.877 million. Among the world’s top 5,000 brands, the total value of Chinese brands reached USD 1.81 trillion, ranking the second in the world.
(III) Geographical Indications
104 new geographical indication products were identified, 2,639 geographical indication products were converted and recognized, 51 collective trademarks and certification trademarks based on geographical indications were approved for registration, and more than 20,000 business entities were approved to use the special marks for geographical indications.
By the end of 2025, China had cumulatively identified 5,066 geographical indication products, approved the registration of 7,425 collective trademarks and certification trademarks based on geographical indications, and authorized more than 52,000 business entities to use the special marks for geographical indications.
(IV) Integrated Circuit Layout Designs
10,000 registration certificates for integrated circuit layout designs were issued throughout the year. By the end of 2025, the cumulative number of registration certificates for integrated circuit layout designs issued in China reached 93,000.
(V) Pilot Program for Digital Intellectual Property
By October 2025, pilot regions across the country had issued a total of more than 40,000 data intellectual property registration certificates, with the amount of financing credit enhancement, licensing and transactions reaching nearly CNY 15 billion.
(VI) Intellectual Property Protection
Five new national intellectual property protection centers and two fast intellectual property protection centers were established, bringing the total number to 129. Thirty-six new guidance platforms for overseas intellectual property dispute were set up, with the total number reaching 116. The entire system handled 57,000 administrative cases of patent infringement disputes and guided the settlement of 62,000 intellectual property mediation cases. Fifty-eight administrative adjudication cases under the early resolution mechanism for pharmaceutical patent disputes were concluded.
(VII) Intellectual Property Utilization
The number of patent transfer and licensing recordals reached 697,000 throughout the year, a year-on-year increase of 13.7%. Among them, universities and research institutions recorded nearly 90,000 patent transfer and licensing cases, a year-on-year increase of 16.6%. The industrialization rate of invention patents in enterprises reached 54%, maintaining a steady growth for many consecutive years. From January to November 2025, the total import and export volume of intellectual property royalties in China reached 382.87 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.4%, among which the export volume increased by 23.1% year-on-year.
(VIII) Intellectual Property Public Services
Thirty-six new national intellectual property public service institutions were established, bringing the total number to 519. The coverage rate of prefecture-level comprehensive intellectual property public service institutions rose to 54.1%. The online application rate for patents and trademarks both exceeded 99%. (Jan. 23rd, 2026, State Council Information Office)
(I) Patents
A total of 972,000 invention patents, 1.461 million utility model patents and 666,000 design patents were granted throughout the year. 96,000 patent reexamination and invalidation cases were concluded. The examination cycle for invention patents was shortened to 15 months, and the case conclusion accuracy rate was raised to 95.6%. 78,000 PCT international patent applications were accepted. Chinese patent applicants filed 2,844 international design applications under the Hague Agreement.
By the end of 2025, the number of valid invention patents in China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) reached 5.32 million, and the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 people reached 16.
(II) Trademarks
4.206 million trademarks were registered throughout the year, 384,000 various trademark review cases and 112,000 opposition cases were concluded. The average examination cycle for trademark registration was stably maintained at 4 months, with the examination qualification rate exceeding 97%. 6,718 international trademark registration applications under the Madrid System filed by Chinese applicants were received.
By the end of 2025, the number of valid registered trademarks in China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) reached 49.877 million. Among the world’s top 5,000 brands, the total value of Chinese brands reached USD 1.81 trillion, ranking the second in the world.
(III) Geographical Indications
104 new geographical indication products were identified, 2,639 geographical indication products were converted and recognized, 51 collective trademarks and certification trademarks based on geographical indications were approved for registration, and more than 20,000 business entities were approved to use the special marks for geographical indications.
By the end of 2025, China had cumulatively identified 5,066 geographical indication products, approved the registration of 7,425 collective trademarks and certification trademarks based on geographical indications, and authorized more than 52,000 business entities to use the special marks for geographical indications.
(IV) Integrated Circuit Layout Designs
10,000 registration certificates for integrated circuit layout designs were issued throughout the year. By the end of 2025, the cumulative number of registration certificates for integrated circuit layout designs issued in China reached 93,000.
(V) Pilot Program for Digital Intellectual Property
By October 2025, pilot regions across the country had issued a total of more than 40,000 data intellectual property registration certificates, with the amount of financing credit enhancement, licensing and transactions reaching nearly CNY 15 billion.
(VI) Intellectual Property Protection
Five new national intellectual property protection centers and two fast intellectual property protection centers were established, bringing the total number to 129. Thirty-six new guidance platforms for overseas intellectual property dispute were set up, with the total number reaching 116. The entire system handled 57,000 administrative cases of patent infringement disputes and guided the settlement of 62,000 intellectual property mediation cases. Fifty-eight administrative adjudication cases under the early resolution mechanism for pharmaceutical patent disputes were concluded.
(VII) Intellectual Property Utilization
The number of patent transfer and licensing recordals reached 697,000 throughout the year, a year-on-year increase of 13.7%. Among them, universities and research institutions recorded nearly 90,000 patent transfer and licensing cases, a year-on-year increase of 16.6%. The industrialization rate of invention patents in enterprises reached 54%, maintaining a steady growth for many consecutive years. From January to November 2025, the total import and export volume of intellectual property royalties in China reached 382.87 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.4%, among which the export volume increased by 23.1% year-on-year.
(VIII) Intellectual Property Public Services
Thirty-six new national intellectual property public service institutions were established, bringing the total number to 519. The coverage rate of prefecture-level comprehensive intellectual property public service institutions rose to 54.1%. The online application rate for patents and trademarks both exceeded 99%. (Jan. 23rd, 2026, State Council Information Office)