On July 2, the Forum on Intellectual Property and Digital Economy Ecosystem Development, a key event of the Global Digital Economy Conference 2025, took place at the China National Convention Center in Beijing.

Zhao Changxin, vice-president of the Beijing Internet Court (BIC), was invited to attend and delivered a keynote speech on fully utilizing the judicial function of intellectual property (IP) protection to safeguard the high-quality development of the digital economy.

In his speech, Zhao elaborated on the new requirements on IP adjudication arising from the ongoing development of the digital economy ecosystem, and shared the BIC's practices in supporting and safeguarding the high-quality development of the digital economy. He emphasized that building a digital economy ecosystem characterized by innovation, fair competition, smooth circulation of production factors, and clear regulatory rules requires the courts to give fully exercise to their judicial functions in IP rights and properly balance the relationships between innovation and incentives, development and regulation, private and public interests, and adjudication and governance.

He pointed out that the BIC, in line with the development trends of the digital industry and judicial needs of the digital economy, has handled a number of landmark cases that were gap-filling, rule-setting, and with demonstrative significance. These include China's first copyright infringement case involving "AI text-to-image generation", China's first "internet of vehicles" copyright infringement case, and China's first case involving data-related IP registration certificates. According to Zhao, the court upholds the organic integration of development and regulation to promote forward-looking governance aligned with technological advancements. It coordinates the dialectical relationship between public and private interests to ensure that IP rights continue to drive innovation. It has also strengthened collaborative mechanisms to explore advanced paths for IP protection by establishing the "1+N" circuit trial mechanism for data rights and extending judicial services.

Zhao concluded that, looking ahead, the BIC will further incorporate IP protection into the strategic framework of digital economy development, identify key areas for supporting national and municipal development goals, properly handle IP cases related to the digital economy, and provide more targeted, efficient, and robust judicial support for Beijing to accelerate its development into a globally leading city for the digital economy.