A seminar on the achievements and prospects of the technical investigation officer system was held in Beijing on Aug 14 by the Beijing Intellectual Property Court (BIPC) and the Center for Intellectual Property of Tsinghua University’s School of Law, highlighting the system’s 10-year development and exploring its future development. 

Song Jiangtao, director of the Civil Law Office of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC); Chen Zhiyuan, director of the China Institute of Applied Jurisprudence; Lang Guimei, deputy chief judge of the Third Civil Division (Intellectual Property Division) of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC); Ma Yide, professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Cui Guobin, dean of Tsinghua University’s School of Law; and Liu Shuangyu, president of the BIPC, addressed the event, elaborating on the significance and future development of the technical investigation officer system from different perspectives.

During the seminar, judges and technical investigation officers shared the achievements in building and implementing the technical investigation officer system. Participants also engaged in in-depth discussions on the system’s practice and development in China, comparative perspectives on the system, and legislative proposals for further improvements. 

The seminar highlighted the remarkable progress made over the past decade and pointed out future directions for the system’s refinement. As technological innovation accelerates and IP protection becomes increasingly important, the technical investigation officer system is expected to play a greater role in adjudication of IP-related cases, providing strong judicial support for scientific innovation and economic growth.

The event was attended by over 70 representatives from the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, the SPC, intellectual property courts and tribunals in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hainan, as well as leading universities including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, and China University of Political Science and Law.