Data, as a new type of production element, is a foundational strategic resource for nations. Establishing a data intellectual property system helps clarify data rights and interests, incentivizes the innovative development and dissemination of data. Currently, the reform of the data intellectual property system in Zhejiang Province is showing positive trends, including increasing prominence, improving institutional frameworks, expanding practical effectiveness, deepening reforms, and growing social recognition. To promote the deepening development of data intellectual property pilot work in Zhejiang Province, the Zhejiang Provincial Intellectual Property Bureau has established a data intellectual property research center at Zhejiang University to conduct research on data intellectual property.
Establishment Ceremony
On the morning of May 26, the establishment ceremony of the Zhejiang Provincial Data Intellectual Property Research Center was held on the Zijingang Campus of Zhejiang University. Attending the ceremony were Deputy Director Gu Wenhai of the Zhejiang Provincial Intellectual Property Bureau, Vice President Zhou Jianghong of Zhejiang University, Former Director Han Xiucheng of the China National Intellectual Property Administration Research Center, Director Xu Xili of the Intellectual Property Development Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Intellectual Property Bureau, Dean Wu Changqi of the School of Management at Shandong University, Deputy Director Cheng Li of the Social Science Academy at Zhejiang University, Executive Deputy Dean Xie Xiaoyun of the School of Management at Zhejiang University, along with numerous scholars, experts, and representatives from enterprises. The ceremony was hosted by Professor Wu Xiaobo, Director of the Social Science Department at Zhejiang University. The establishment ceremony was part of the international conference jointly organized by Zhejiang University on "Intellectual Property and Innovation: Corporate Strategies and Policy Challenges in a Rapidly Changing World."
Remarks
During the ceremony, Vice President Zhou Jianghong and Deputy Director Gu Wenhai delivered speeches. Vice President Zhou Jianghong expressed his gratitude for the trust and support from the Zhejiang Provincial Intellectual Property Bureau. He hopes that the research center will leverage Zhejiang University's strengths as a comprehensive research university, relying on top-tier disciplines in economics, law, management, and technology, to deepen interdisciplinary research and foundational theory studies. The aim is to achieve significant results in both theoretical and practical research and become a well-known platform for data intellectual property policy research, international exchanges, university-enterprise cooperation, and the integration of industry and education both domestically and internationally.
Deputy Director Gu Wenhai provided an overview of the development of data intellectual property in Zhejiang Province. He emphasized that setting up the data intellectual property research center at Zhejiang University is a strategic deployment based on the need to deepen data intellectual property reforms in Zhejiang Province. It aims to contribute to the formation of a Zhejiang solution that has national influence and global impact in data governance. Deputy Director Gu Wenhai highlighted that the recently issued "Opinions on Deepening Data Intellectual Property Reform to Promote High-Quality Development" by the Zhejiang provincial government marks a new starting point. He hopes that the research center will grasp new trends, meet new needs, support new practices, and push the data intellectual property reforms in Zhejiang Province deeper and more effectively, keeping the province at the forefront nationally.
Update on Reforms
Director Xu Xili of the Intellectual Property Development Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Intellectual Property Bureau provided an update on the progress of data intellectual property reforms in Zhejiang Province. Director Xu Xili outlined the advances made in defining the scope of data intellectual property, building institutional frameworks, implementing reforms, and future plans. He mentioned that as of May 2024, Zhejiang Province had registered 6,073 data intellectual property rights certificates, covering 11 provinces and municipalities across the country. A total of 2.425 billion yuan had been realized through transactions involving data intellectual property rights, including financing, insurance, securitization, trading, licensing, and other applications. Zhejiang Province will continue to comprehensively deepen data intellectual property reforms and foster an ecosystem where enterprises are willing to register, there are standards for valuation, channels for conversion and utilization exist, scenarios for value realization are present, and rights protection is assured.
Future Directions
Professor Huang Can, Associate Dean of the School of Management at Zhejiang University and Director of the Zhejiang Provincial Data Intellectual Property Research Center, introduced the future research directions, expected outcomes, and operational mechanisms of the research base. Professor Huang Can indicated that the research center will conduct in-depth research on the definition and scope of data intellectual property, creation, utilization, protection, management, and services. The goal is to publish high-level theoretical works, academic papers, case studies, think tank reports, and construct an original data intellectual property theory system. Additionally, the research center will establish an academic committee and a development committee and actively engage in exchanges and cooperation with scholars, leading enterprises, and policymakers both domestically and internationally.
Inaugural Ceremony
Finally, Deputy Director Gu Wenhai of the Zhejiang Provincial Intellectual Property Bureau, Vice President Zhou Jianghong of Zhejiang University, Director Xu Xili of the Intellectual Property Development Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Intellectual Property Bureau, Director Wu Xiaobo of the Social Science Department at Zhejiang University, Executive Deputy Dean Xie Xiaoyun of the School of Management at Zhejiang University, and Director Huang Can of the Zhejiang Provincial Data Intellectual Property Research Center jointly unveiled the plate for the Zhejiang Provincial Data Intellectual Property Research Center.
