China’s IP protection is not as bad as some think

Benjamin Bai, a Shanghai based IP lawyer, recently wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal addressing the misconception that patents are useless in China. He says that many companies forgo the patent process in China at least partly because of a perception that local companies are favoured over foreign competitors when it comes to litigation. While this may have once been the case, Mr. Bai believes that a new trend is emerging. He suggests that the recent win rate for multinational companies in IP suits in China has been greater than 50% and that foreign companies need to recognize this trend and take advantage of it.