Qianhai welcomes city's first foreign patent agency office

Japan's R&C IP Law Firm has received approval from the China National Intellectual Property Office (CNIPA) to establish its China representative office in Shenzhen's Qianhai, marking the first such facility to be set up by a foreign patent agency in the city.

An aerial view of Qianhai. File photo

The approval represents a significant milestone in the development of Shenzhen's intellectual property services sector.

R&C stated that it chose Shenzhen's Qianhai, an innovation hub, for its first Chinese representative office due to the growing global engagement of Chinese innovators.

The new Qianhai office will specialize in providing Chinese companies with comprehensive professional services, including patent portfolio strategy, infringement risk assessment, and litigation support for operations in Japan and other global markets. It will also facilitate cooperation between Japanese companies and Chinese entities in intellectual property applications and protection within China.

Founded in Osaka in 1956, R&C has grown into one of Japan's largest and most established intellectual property service providers. With nearly seven decades of experience and a global network spanning more than 100 countries, the firm offers comprehensive IP services worldwide.

Before this approval, CNIPA had licensed only 10 representative offices of foreign patent agencies across six Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu.