China’s Blockchain Patent Process

China‘s National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA) proceeds with setting up the process and regulations for blockchain patent applications. These regulations will enter into force on February 1.

At the end of December 2019 the NIPA released the new version of regulations as to patenting applications for emerging technologies such as blockchain, big data, artificial intelligence, and business rules and methods.

The regulations contain information about the method and device for secure communication between nodes in blockchain. The patent proposes a solution to the problem of security, so that blockchain nodes do not leak private data in the process of communication. The regulation reads:

“Before a business node in a blockchain establishes a communication connection, it can determine whether to establish a communication connection according to the CA certificate carried in the communication request and a pre-configured CA trust list. This reduces the possibility of business nodes leaking private data and improves the security of data stored in the blockchain.”

According to analysts, regulations appear as a response to the needs of growing technologies and industries, such as blockchain. It also shows China’s aim to strengthen copyright protection by clarifying the patent processes for applicants in the new fields — all of which being part of the preparations to the introduction of digital renminbi.

China lays foundation for the central bank digital currency

China has recently implemented a new password law which is part of its pre-release plans for CBDC (central bank digital currency). The law was passed by the 13th National People’s Congress at the end of October. It outlines three types of passwords — core, common and commercial, and is aimed to facilitate China’s transition to blockchain.