China’s IP Protection Changing, US Firms Remain Skeptical

The list of complaints against China’s intellectual property protections by foreign firms is long – local judicial protectionism, challenges in obtaining evidence, small damage awards, bias – but according to an article in The Diplomat, those perceptions are outdated. Over the past decade, China has become increasingly innovative and has demonstrated a serious resolve to enforce an effective intellectual property rights regime. The change is partially driven by Chinese firm’s focus on global expansion and domestic high-tech innovation. Domestic companies are demanding effective IP protections from the government, and their demands have resulted in legal reforms and new enforcement mechanisms. Nevertheless, in a 2017 survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, more than half of respondents are skeptical that laws protecting intellectual property will be properly enforced in China.