Trends with intellectual property insurance

Intellectual property (IP) insurance is an important financial measure which the state can use to support IP strategy. It can guide and support market players to create and utilize IP rights, reduce the cost of safeguarding their rights, and maintain a fair and orderly market competition. The State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) began approaching major domestic insurance companies in 2011, with the aim of jointly carrying out the pilot work of IP insurance; in 2015, the State Council proposed to accelerate the development of science and technology insurance, and began to promote pilot projects of patent insurance.

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In recent years, Beijing, Qingdao, Suzhou, Shanghai and other provinces and cities have taken the lead to promote and implement the pilot work of IP insurance. IP insurance still remains in its initial stage of development, and there isn’t as yet any IP insurance product that is promoted nationwide by the insurance companies.

IP insurance is still in the initial stage of development. In practice, few insurance companies vigorously promote and develop IP insurance, and even fewer enterprises proactively purchase IP insurance. So far, among the major domestic insurance companies, only PICC Property and Casualty Company (PICC P&C) and Cathay Insurance Company have attempted to promote IP insurance.

PICC P&C has launched three patent insurance products in different stages, including patent enforcement insurance, professional liability insurance for patent agent, and patent infringement liability insurance.

Zhang Zhongbo is a partner and Harry Wu is an associate of Wintell & Co