From 2023 to 2025, Pudong New Area People's Court of Shanghai ruled on 200 digital consumer-related intellectual property (IP) cases, including 148 disputes over online distribution rights and 11 unfair competition cases.
The court issued a White Paper on Services Supporting High-Quality Digital Consumption Development (2023-25) on March 12, reviewing its case handling practices and outlining key judicial measures.
Trademark infringement and QR code scraping case
One notable case involved a Shanghai cosmetics company whose products were resold by a retailer. The retailer removed the anti-counterfeit QR codes and barcodes. The court ruled in favor of the cosmetics company, ordering the retailer to stop the infringement and pay over 660,000 yuan ($95,500) in damages.
Rise in digital consumption disputes
With the growth of online shopping and social commerce, digital consumption has surged in sectors like entertainment, education, and tourism. Between 2023 and 2025, the court handled 9,690 digital consumption cases, 200 of which were IP-related. These cases reflect a growing complexity, including fraud, misleading advertising, and IP violations.
Enhancing consumer rights and legal frameworks
To address emerging issues in digital consumption, the court has introduced specialized rules for live-streaming sales and second-hand transactions. These measures aim to improve the efficiency of case resolution while providing risk alerts to businesses, consumers, and e-commerce platforms.
