Courts ordered to focus on monopoly cases

Chinese courts are required to intensify efforts in hearing cases related to monopolies and unfair competition to prevent the disorderly expansion of capital and improve the healthy development of internet-related economy.

The requirement has been highlighted in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) regarding judicial protection for intellectual property rights, which was released by the Supreme People’s Court, China’s top court, on Thursday.

Courts nationwide are also required to focus more on cases involving core technologies and new businesses to increase protections on technological innovations, the plan said.

Courts across the country have attached great importance to protecting IPR in recent years. Last year, courts concluded more than 524,000 IPR-related cases, up 10.2 percent year-on-year, and issued 10 judicial interpretations and normative documents related to such cases, according to the top court.