He Rong, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), urged strengthening of judicial protection for intellectual property rights (IPR) to encourage innovation and support integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region as she surveyed Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu province Sept 15 and 16.

She pointed out that courts should push forward study of basic theory to accelerate independent innovation, promote a scientific and entrepreneurial spirit to stimulate innovation of market entities, guide resources to flow to key fields and solve bottleneck problems, and strengthen IPR protection and cross-regional and trans-department cooperation to create a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on promoting technological innovation IPR protection was signed between the intellectual property administrations and the high people’s courts in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces and Shanghai at a seminar held during He’s survey.

He stressed that the MoU will contribute to integrated IPR protection in the region, adding that IPR protection of technological innovation can be strengthened from all respects through integrated consultation, cross-regional cooperation, resource sharing and formation of IPR protection teams from judicial and administrative departments.

Such measures will promote the Yangtze River Delta region’s pioneering role in technological innovation and support construction of the new development pattern.

During her survey, He also visited state-owned and private high-tech enterprises and local courts to learn about judicial needs for technological innovation, construction of one-stop diversified dispute resolution and litigation service systems and IPR protection.

She also listened to suggestions from the deputies to the National People's Congress and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.