China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA) keeps clarifying the guidelines for those applying for blockchain patent. The guidelines are planned to become effective by February 1.

The announcement by NIPA some days ago noted the revision of the guidelines and it is applicable to patent applications for latest technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence, big data, and business rules and methods.

The revision includes guidelines on an approach and device for secure communication between blockchain nodes. That is, the invention patent application recommends a blockchain node communication method and device to solve the challenge of blockchain business nodes leaking privacy data during communication with one another.

According to the guidelines, the establishment of a communication connection by a business node in a blockchain could be based on the CA certificate carried in the communication request and a pre-configured CA trust list. Such will limit the likelihood of private data leak by a business node and enhance data security in the blockchain.

Analysts see the revision as a way to deal with the necessity of developing new industries like blockchain. Besides, it is a reflection of the strategic direction of China to strengthen intellectual property protection, through improved friendliness towards patent applicants in the new fields and it seems in line with the country’s much-expected digital renminbi.

The pre-launch plans of the digital renminbi are being executed and one of them is the formal implementation of a law that governs the management of cryptographic password. The law was passed three months ago. According to the law, there are three categories under passwords: passwords, common passwords, and commercial passwords. The aim is to enable the transition of China to blockchain technology.