On May 16, 2026, the Office of the Inter-Ministerial Joint Conference on Intellectual Property Powerhouse Construction officially released the “2026 Intellectual Property Powerhouse Construction Promotion Plan”. As the fifth year of implementing the “Intellectual Property Powerhouse Construction Outline (2021-2035)”, and a critical node for the conclusion of the “14th Five-Year Plan” and planning of the “15th Five-Year Plan”, this annual “construction blueprint” will have profound impacts on patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, geographical indications, data intellectual property and other fields.

Seven Key Task Areas:

I. Improving the intellectual property system II. Strengthening intellectual property protection III. Improving the market operation mechanism of intellectual property IV. Enhancing the efficiency of intellectual property services V. Strengthening publicity and education on intellectual property protection VI. Deepening international exchanges and cooperation on intellectual property VII. Strengthening organizational guarantees

Nine Special Enforcement Campaigns:

1. “Sword Net 2026” special campaign against online infringement and piracy
2. “Sword Shadow 2026” special campaign for copyright protection of theatrical films
3. Special campaign for juvenile copyright protection season
4. “Guard Intellectual Property” special law enforcement campaign in emerging fields
5. “Guard Intellectual Property” special law enforcement campaign in e-commerce fields
6. “Dragon Soar” special campaign for customs protection of intellectual property
7. Campaign against bad-faith patent applications and malicious trademark registrations
8. Special campaign for geographical indication protection
9. Special campaign for Olympic symbol protection

Core Measures Related to SRDI (Specialized, Refinement, Differentiation, Innovation) Enterprises:

1. Patent Examination Green Channel: Provide fast-track examination services for eligible invention patent applications from SRDI SMEs, supporting high-quality development of strategic emerging industries.

2. Trademark Examination Efficiency Improvement: By the end of 2026, stabilize general trademark registration period within 7 months, control opposition examination period within 10 months, and control trademark revocation review case examination period within 7 months.

3. International Cooperation Deepening: Deepen intellectual property cooperation with “Belt and Road” countries and regions, promote the establishment of policy exchange mechanisms among co-construction countries, and explore pathways for international mutual recognition of data intellectual property.

4. Overseas Dispute Response Guidance: Improve the overseas intellectual property dispute response guidance system, establish rapid response mechanisms, and support enterprises going global.

Impact on Enterprises:

• Positive Impact: Improved patent and trademark examination efficiency shortens the protection cycle for enterprise innovation achievements; strengthened overseas rights protection support provides better guarantees for enterprises going global.
• Compliance Requirements: Bad-faith patent applications and trademark hoarding will face stricter crackdowns, requiring enterprises to strengthen intellectual property compliance management.
• Opportunity Window: SRDI enterprises can fully utilize fast-track examination channels to accelerate core technology patent layout.