Hangzhou launches online mediation platform for IPR, commercial disputes

HANGZHOU -- An online mediation platform was officially launched Tuesday for cases concerning intellectual property rights and international commercial disputes within the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou after two months of trial operation.

The China (Hangzhou) Intellectual Property and International Commercial Mediation Cloud Platform is jointly developed by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Hangzhou Committee (CCPIT Hangzhou) and Hangzhou Intermediate People's Court.

It opens for online applications from the parties or agents and also accepts cases from the courts, if the parties agree to accept mediation.

"The platform provides Internet mediation, electronic signatures, automated documentation, online judicial confirmation applications and other services for the convenience of the litigants or agents," said Zheng Rongxin, president of the CCPIT Hangzhou.

So far, the platform has nine mediation institutions with a total of 1,600 mediators. As of June 16, it had received 1,588 cases, with the shortest case taking only two days to mediate.