WIPO China: WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service Receives Over 200 Cases

Since commencing operations in October 2020 in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service has received more than 200 cases.

As of December 31, 2025, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service had administered a cumulative total of 220 foreign-related intellectual property (IP) disputes, including arbitration cases, court-referred mediation cases, and mediations submitted directly by the parties. Among the cases in which mediators were appointed, the settlement rate was approximately 60%.

The disputes covered a wide range of legal subject matters, including trademark disputes (58%), copyright and digital content disputes (22%), patent disputes (14%), commercial disputes (5%), and information and communications technology disputes (1%).

The disputes spanned various business sectors, including luxury goods and fashion (40%), entertainment (17%), information technology (11%), machinery (6%), life sciences (6%), and other industries (20%).

The parties originated from 19 countries, including China, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

Among all parties, approximately 49% were small and medium-sized enterprises, 37% were large enterprises, and 14% were individuals.

In 2025, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service received 68 foreign-related IP mediation cases referred by Chinese courts, representing a 42% increase compared to 2024. The referring courts included the High People’s Courts in Shanghai, Fujian, Hainan, Guangdong, Chongqing, and Sichuan.

Background Information

The WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center is a neutral, international, non-profit dispute resolution institution specializing in IP and technology-related disputes. It offers time- and cost-efficient alternative dispute resolution (ADR) options, such as mediation, arbitration, expedited arbitration, and expert determination to enable private parties to settle their domestic or cross-border commercial disputes. It is also the global leader in the provision of domain name dispute resolution services under the WIPO-designed UDRP.

The WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Service was registered in October 2019 in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone and is the first international arbitration institution approved by China’s Ministry of Justice to conduct arbitration and mediation of foreign-related IP disputes within China. Since 2020, the Shanghai Service has established cooperation with the High People’s Courts in Shanghai, Fujian, Hainan, Guangdong, Chongqing, and Sichuan for the court referral of foreign-related IP disputes to WIPO Mediation, providing a new pathway for the protection of IP rights of both Chinese and international rights holders.