The State Intellectual Property Office （SIPO） of China was formerly known as the China Patent Office in 1980, and officially renamed SIPO in 1998 by the China State Council. Since then, SIPO was the patent authority for the examination and grant of patent filings and layout designs of integrated circuits. Trademark matters were handled by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce （SAIC）, while both SIPO and SAIC were subordinate to the China State Council.
In March of 2018, the Chinese government approved a restructuring plan to reform SIPO and let it be also responsible for trademark registrations and geographical indications. SAIC and several other organizations were disbanded and reorganized as the State Administration of Market Regulation （SMRA), a new subordinate to the State Council. The reformed SIPO is to be supervised by the SMRA.
During this reorganization and reforming process, SIPO announced that it would start taking over the responsibility of trademark registrations and geographical indications from June 8, 2018. More recently, SIPO changed its English name to China National Intellectual Property Administration（CNIPA）, effective August 28, 2018. Accordingly, CNIPA will manage the major IP areas in China, including patent filings, trademark registrations, geographical indications and layout designs of integrated circuits. Copyright matters remain the responsibility of the National Copyright Administration of China（NCAC）.
The changes are aimed to streamline the administrative work of patent and trademark prosecutions under the management of CNIPA, and help strengthen the enforcement of IP rights through the establishment of SMRA. It is expected that these changes may create a better IP environment in China.
