To promote the new cooperation in mediation of foreign-related IP cases pending with the Shanghai IP Court and the Shanghai Pudong New District Court and to help parties lower barriers to resolving IP disputes under the present circumstances of COVID-19, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service (the "WIPO Shanghai Service") initiates a "Court-referred Mediation Promotion Scheme", i.e. subject to the agreement of the mediator appointed in the specific case, the mediator's fees and the administration fee charged in that case will be exempted if parties involved agree to submit their foreign-related IP disputes pending with the two courts to WIPO mediation until February 28, 2021. Parties also have the option of using the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center's time and cost efficient eADR and videoconferencing facilities, at no cost.

1. Mediation for Foreign-related Intellectual Property Disputes Pending before Courts in China

A framework collaboration between the Supreme People's Court of China (SPC) and WIPO has been established upon the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in April 2017. Among a number of activities involving WIPO under the MoU, SPC and the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center collaborate in the area of mediation to help resolve IP disputes in China. In October 2019, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service has been accredited by the Ministry of Justice of China to provide foreign-related mediation and arbitration services for foreign-related IP disputes in China. Cooperation has commenced concerning mediation of foreign-related IP cases pending with relevant courts in Shanghai.

By December 31, 2020, the WIPO Shanghai Service has received in total 18 foreign-related IP mediation cases referred from courts in Shanghai. To date, substantive mediation proceedings have been conducted in four out of these 18 cases. Out of these four cases, three were settled, resulting in a settlement rate of 75%.

2. For More Information

More information on the "Court-referred Mediation Promotion Scheme" and WIPO mediation for foreign-related intellectual property disputes pending before relevant courts in Shanghai is available at https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/center/specific-sectors/national-courts/china/spc.html

3. Contact Us

WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service

Unit 04B, 28/F, Shanghai Jinmao Tower, No. 88, Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai 200120, China

T +86 21 6895 6059 

E arbiter.referrals@wipo.int

WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center

34, chemin des Colombettes 1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland

T +4122 338 8247 

E arbiter.mail@wipo.int / arbiter.referrals@wipo.int 

W www.wipo.int/amc