On June 27, 2025, China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee passed a significant update to the Anti-Unfair Competition Law, with the revised provisions taking effect on October 15, 2025. This amendment marks a strategic step toward reinforcing intellectual property (IP) rights amid the complexities of modern commerce and digital platforms.

Since the law’s original adoption in 1993, it has played a supporting role in China’s IP ecosystem. The 2025 revision, however, brings IP protection to the forefront, strengthening safeguards against behaviors that misappropriate brand identity, proprietary data, and market reputation.

Among the notable changes are stricter controls on conduct that confuses consumers—such as unauthorized use of well-known trademarks or names in business identifiers and online search terms. These practices, often overlooked in earlier legal frameworks, are now clearly prohibited to ensure clearer boundaries for brand protection.
Digital platforms face new responsibilities: they must implement transparent policies promoting fair competition, monitor potential IP violations, and provide clear channels for complaints and resolution. The law also curtails manipulation through algorithms or platform mechanisms that could give unfair advantage or exploit proprietary data.

Other improvements target deceptive marketing, unfair inducements, and misuse of dominant positions — all of which can indirectly erode the value of intellectual property.

This legislative shift underscores China’s evolving approach: IP is no longer just a legal concept, but a pillar of business integrity, innovation, and global credibility. For both domestic and foreign enterprises, it’s a clear signal of a more structured and IP-conscious market environment.