Online negotiations, order acceptance, and shipment organization… Recently, at the Optics Valley Yangtze International Trade Cross-Border E-Commerce Industrial Park, Wuhan Jingzhou Trading Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Jingzhou Trading”) successfully exported a batch of Bluetooth headsets to the Middle East via an e-commerce platform. According to Manager Yu, head of the company, with strong support from the Wuhan Intellectual Property Protection (Yangtze International Trade Cross-Border E-Commerce Free Trade Zone) Workstation, the company achieved its first orders within just two months of settling into the park. It now maintains stable monthly sales of over 100 units.

    In recent years, Wuhan has steadily extended intellectual property (IP) protection efforts to the grassroots level. By relying on cross-border e-commerce industry clusters, the city has established municipal-level IP protection workstations. Through risk warning, dispute response, and capacity-building, these workstations aim to build a full-chain IP protection service system to safeguard the overseas journey of cross-border e-commerce enterprises.

    Completing IP Compliance Certification Boosts Confidence in Going Global

    The Yangtze International Trade Cross-Border E-Commerce Industrial Park is home to more than 120 cross-border e-commerce enterprises. According to the head of the Wuhan Intellectual Property Protection (Yangtze International Trade Cross-Border E-Commerce Free Trade Zone) Workstation, when companies “go global,” it is crucial to screen, assess, and prevent intellectual property risks.

    Jingzhou Trading, established in March this year, quickly targeted the Middle Eastern “blue ocean” market. It opened a store on noon, the largest local e-commerce platform in the Middle East, focusing on Bluetooth headsets and other 3C electronic devices.

    “Middle Eastern countries have relatively well-developed trademark and patent systems. As digital consumption rises, intellectual property scrutiny on e-commerce products has become increasingly stringent,” said the workstation representative. Relying on regular training sessions, the workstation helped Jingzhou Trading develop strong IP compliance awareness early on and provided one-on-one compliance guidance. Professional IP service agencies assisted the company in trademark registration planning, product design, and functionality patent applications, while dedicated platform managers guided the company on compliant use of text and image materials, ensuring successful completion of platform IP compliance certification.

    “IP compliance certification helped us avoid the risks of product takedowns or store freezes due to infringement complaints. It has given us much more confidence in going global,” said Manager Yu.

    Another example is Wuhan Chuangxian Technology Co., Ltd., which independently developed an intelligent bed-surface cleaning robot, precisely targeting high-end markets in Europe and the U.S. With full-process IP compliance and operational support from the workstation—including a tailored multi-dimensional IP “protection network” covering trademarks, patents, and copyrights—the company has promoted the registration and defense of invention patents in overseas markets. It has now achieved rapid brand recognition across major platforms such as Amazon, eBay, and its own independent site.

    “Proactive Response” to IP Disputes Secures Trademark Rights

    Located at the heart of the digital economy industry cluster in Wuchang Riverside Digital Innovation Corridor, Wuchang Digital Innovation Building became home to the Wuhan Intellectual Property Protection (Wuchang District Digital Innovation Corridor) Workstation in October 2024.

    “AliExpress, as a benchmark enterprise in the park, has attracted more than 30 cross-border e-commerce businesses since the park opened,” said the head of the Wuchang workstation. “In addition to preventive measures, the workstation also collaborates with the Wuhan Intellectual Property Protection Center to proactively respond to overseas infringement risks.”

    In November 2024, a wave of malicious trademark squatting targeting Chinese brands emerged, affecting many cross-border e-commerce companies in the AliExpress park. Some enterprises even faced lawsuits that led to product takedowns.

    The Wuhan Intellectual Property Protection Center responded quickly, working with IP experts to provide on-site legal consultation and defense strategies. They filed objections against the squatted trademarks, which were eventually upheld. The squatting attempts failed, and the crisis was successfully resolved.

    Building Awareness and Capacity to Handle IP Disputes

    The establishment of cross-border e-commerce IP workstations has not only strengthened enterprises’ awareness of intellectual property protection but also improved their ability to handle disputes.

    Since its inauguration, the Wuchang District Digital Innovation Corridor Workstation has conducted 14 online and offline training sessions, providing one-stop access to IP regulatory information and dispute response guidance. These efforts have helped companies effectively mitigate the risks of overseas IP disputes and bridge the “last mile” of overseas rights protection services.

    In addition to centralized training, the Wuhan Intellectual Property Protection (Yangtze International Trade Cross-Border E-Commerce Free Trade Zone) Workstation also organizes regular IP salon activities. By collecting and analyzing overseas IP information, it provides timely publicity and risk warnings, along with consulting services on dispute response, risk prevention, and rights protection for local e-commerce enterprises.

    Today, Wuhan’s cross-border e-commerce IP protection workstations have become “shields against risk” for enterprises going global. Looking ahead, they will continue to enhance overseas IP protection standards, safeguard enterprises’ international expansion, and strengthen the rule of law foundation for Chinese e-commerce companies participating in global competition.

    Source: Changjiang Daily