IPR Protection in China for the Creative Industries

China’s rapidly expanding consumer market creates both opportunities and challenges for European businesses in creative industries. In the past 5 years, China’s consumption patterns have changed considerably, allowing families to spend more than 7% of their overall expenditures on cultural services and products, opening up more opportunities for SMEs active in the creative industries. Ideas and designs are the lifeblood of creative businesses and infringement can be particularly costly and damaging. However, ones that are not adequately protected often fall victim to infringement by potential Chinese clients or Chinese competitors. This guide addresses the Intellectual Property issues often faced by creative businesses in various sub-sectors of the creative industry in China including in architectural design, product design, graphic design, web-design, brand design, photography and cinematography, writing, etc.