On February 5th, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) announced that China had formally joined the Hague System and Marrakesh Treaty.  

In 2020, Chinese residents submitted 795,504 designs, accounting for about 55% of the global applications. China's entry into the Hague System will make it easier and cheaper for these designers to protect and promote their works overseas.  

China is the most populous country in the world, and also the birthplace of great literary and cultural traditions. Joining the Marrakesh Treaty means that more than 17 million blind and visually impaired people in China will now have more access to copyrighted works, which will also increase the cross-border dissemination of Chinese content. 

China's accession to these two treaties is an important development of the global intellectual property ecosystem. 

China's entry into the Hague System means that it will be easier for Chinese design circles to protect their designs and bring them out of China, and overseas designers will find it easier to spread their designs to one of the largest and most dynamic markets in the world. 

With China's accession to the Marrakesh Treaty, China's blind and visually impaired groups will benefit more from barrier-free versions of foreign works. 

China's accession will take effect on May 5, 2022.