CNIPA’s five-year plan spans pre-filing commercial assessments, AI-assisted inventions, possible SEP pilot, drug patent linkage disputes

Context: China is placing greater weight on patent quality and on how companies use their inventions. The State Council’s July 2026 IP plan calls for stronger patent protection and encourages licensing, including through patent pools in priority industries (August 4, 2026 ip fray article). Three rival solar manufacturers had already put that approach into practice in April, forming a pool with Beijing’s backing as part of a broader effort to curb destructive price competition in the sector (April 27, 2026 ip fray article). Patent quality is also shaping how Beijing supports smaller companies. In October, four agencies proposed screening patents for irregularities and assessing their quality when companies apply for designations such as “Little Giant” status (October 30, 2026 ip fray article).