Beijing: China enhanced judicial protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs) to support the country's key technologies and industries last year, work reports of the Supreme People's Court (SPC) and the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) showed Saturday.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the SPC work report submitted to the ongoing national legislative session for deliberation revealed that China increased IPR protection in areas such as next-generation information technology, high-end manufacturing, biomedicine, and new materials in 2024.

In the past year, the SPC effectively managed IPR disputes related to artificial intelligence (AI), aiding the lawful application of AI and penalizing infringement behaviors using the technology. Chinese courts at all levels concluded 494,000 cases related to IPRs in 2024, marking a 0.9 percent increase year on year, as stated in the SPC report.

The SPP also emphasized efforts to bolster IPR protection to foster the growth of emerging industries, including AI and biomedicine, according to its work report. The report indicated that 21,000 individuals were prosecuted last year for crimes involving infringements of trademark rights, patent rights, copyright, and business secrets, among others. The SPP handled 4,219 IPR cases involving civil, administrative, and public interest litigation last year.