Shanghai's Xuhui district launched a handbook on overseas intellectual property services on Oct 15, helping businesses identify risks and protect their rights throughout their respective journeys of international expansion.
Xuhui offers a new IP training session and service. [Photo/WeChat ID: Shanghai_IPA]
Based on real cases, the handbook covers freedom-to-operate checks, overseas trademark squatting, cross-border e-commerce takedown appeals and IP protection in key markets. It also provides operational guidance and official support channels, shifting services from dispute response to proactive prevention.
The approach is already benefiting local businesses. When overseas monitoring flagged potential IP risks for a Shanghai AI company in July, Xuhui officials and experts proactively visited the company to explain local laws, judicial precedents and protection options. Their advice covered evidence collection, registration costs and timelines, and coordinated overseas trademark and patent strategies.
In another case, for a medical research AI company, the district's IP Protection Center compared international, single-country and EU registration routes and recommended a tailored strategy to protect its brand while controlling costs.
Since the beginning of 2026, the district has organized more than 10 training sessions and salons, issued regular case studies and risk alerts, and provided tailored overseas IP services to more than 10 companies.
Xuhui plans to update the handbook with business feedback, overseas legal precedents and policy changes, while developing country-specific guides and risk monitoring to support companies expanding into global markets.
