The WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Shanghai Center handled 71 cases in 2025, up about 45 percent year on year, reflecting rising demand for neutral, efficient mechanisms to resolve foreign-related intellectual property disputes involving Chinese and international parties.
Since beginning formal operations in October 2020, the Shanghai Center has handled more than 200 cases, with a mediation success rate of about 60 percent in cases where mediators were appointed.
Registered in the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone in October 2019, the center is the first international institution approved by the Ministry of Justice to conduct arbitration and mediation of foreign-related intellectual property disputes in China.
Mediation has become a major pathway for resolving disputes, allowing parties to address intellectual property disputes covering multiple jurisdictions in a single procedure, reducing confrontation, litigation costs, and the risk of inconsistent outcomes.
Supported by the Supreme People's Court, the Shanghai Center has established court-linked mediation mechanisms with high courts in several regions, and court-referred foreign-related IP cases account for over 90 percent of total filings.
This cooperation model has been well received by Chinese and foreign parties and was presented by Chinese court representatives at a WIPO forum as a recommended example of linking litigation with mediation.
The Shanghai Center will further strengthen cooperation with courts and intellectual property authorities to improve coordination among litigation, mediation, and arbitration, offering convenient and efficient services for foreign-related intellectual property disputes.
