Intellectual Property Rights as an Engine of Economic Innovation in China’s Five-Year Plans -Vaulting Ambitions and Towering Challenges-

While counterfeiting continues to be a problem for brand owners operating in China, there tends to be a lack of appreciation towards the improvements made to the enforcement of intellectual property rights in China. In fact, intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are applied for and asserted with increasing frequency in China, where they are becoming a key driver of innovation and a foundation for a knowledge based economy. With the Chinese Government focusing significant resources and attention to improving IP enforcement and anti-counterfeiting, it hopes to realize its goal of establishing a modern economy based on IP rights. This article delves into the impacts of the 13th Five-Year Plan and the subsequent 13th Five-Year National Intellectual Property Protection and Use Plan on the Chinese economy, in particular through IPRs. Furthermore, this article discusses how the Five-Year Plans provide insight into the Chinese government’s goals and uses of IPRs to drive technological innovation.