Patent law revolution: China's 40-year journey from adaptation to advancement

ADAPTATION TO INTERNATIONAL RULES

The origins of China's Patent Law can be traced back to July 1978, the dawn of the reform and opening up. The central authority decided to establish a patent system. However, the term "patent" was unfamiliar to most Chinese people at the time.

A drafting team of legal, trade and technical experts studied patent systems from over 30 countries. After years of research and 25 drafts, China's first Patent Law was enacted in 1984.

At that time, since the system of planned economy had not fundamentally transformed, and people's understanding of IP rights was still limited, the drafting process even caused controversy, as some argued that a patent system might not align with the principles of socialism.

However, the doubts were quieted down by the long queue of applicants at the entrance of a national office of patents on April 1, 1985, the very first day the law came into effect. More than 3,400 applications were submitted on that day, setting a daily record in patent history.