Hey there, digital explorers! 🚀 Last week, the 14th China Intellectual Property Annual Conference took over Beijing with a clear message: data is the new gold. With the theme “IP in the Digital Age,” this two-day event gathered 160+ global experts and 8,000 participants to dive into AI, biomedicine, integrated circuits and more.
Why the buzz? In 2024, the Chinese mainland generated a whopping 41.06 zettabytes (ZB) of data — that’s over a quarter of the world’s total! Imagine over 13 million high-complexity 3D films like “Ne Zha 2” streaming in one year. 🎥✨
But it’s not just about big numbers. Core industries in the digital economy topped 10% of GDP, and data market transactions surpassed 160 billion yuan ($22.4B). To keep the momentum, the spotlight was on data IP protections. “The advent of the digital age presents new challenges for the innovation and transformation of the intellectual property system,” said Hu Wenhui, deputy commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration.
So, what counts as data IP? The administration defines it as legally obtained data sets processed under specific rules and packed with practical value and creative insights—or the products born from them. Beijing, Shanghai and Zhejiang are among the 17 pilot regions testing this approach since July 2021.
Fast forward to June 2025: 58,000 data IP registration applications have been processed, leading to 30,000 certificates issued. Over 90% of these come from enterprises, fueling more than 10 billion yuan in financing and credit enhancements. From licensing deals to securitization, data IP is unlocking new ways to innovate and compete.
Director of the Strategic Planning Department of the China National Intellectual Property Administration, Liang Xinxin, adds, “Registered data now spans 83 of 97 major industry categories—led by information technology services, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail—collectively making up over half of all registrations.”
As data shapes the future, protecting its value is crucial. Stay tuned to see how data IP continues to power the digital economy and spark fresh ideas across industries! 🌟
Reference(s):
China's IP conference spotlights data as intellectual property
cgtn.com
