Guangxi courts have significantly bolstered their intellectual property protections, tackling infringement cases to foster a fairer market environment supporting homegrown breakthroughs.

Zhang Xiangyu, a lawyer at Guangxi Guangyuan Law Firm, recently highlighted the impact of timely judicial intervention: "Guangxi courts stepped in promptly to mediate and stop the infringement of the 'Qinguo 9' passion fruit, protecting the rights of variety owners and maintaining fair competition. This has encouraged more agri-tech firms to invest in developing new varieties."

The "Qinguo 9" passion fruit, formerly known as "Qinmi 9," is the result of years of targeted research by a Guangxi breeding team. It is highly heat-resistant, purely sweet with no acidity, and has an extended fruiting period, leading to its recognition as a new plant variety by agricultural authorities. However, rampant infringement has plagued the variety recently, with low-quality counterfeit seedlings flooding the market and causing crop failures for some growers.

Representing the intellectual property owner, Zhang Xiangyu sought legal recourse. During case hearings, Guangxi courts conducted thorough studies and mediated resolutions, compelling infringers to halt illegal activities, destroy breeding materials like mother plants, and pledge to stop unauthorized propagation, planting, and sales of the variety. For cases where mediation failed, courts issued decisive rulings to prevent further infringement, signaling a firm stance on respecting IP rights and protecting seed innovation while deterring future violations.

Wei Wubin, president of the Nanning Intermediate People's Court, noted, "Our judgments have elevated industry awareness of new plant variety rights, prompting more practitioners to standardize seedling sourcing and work through licensed channels. This lays the groundwork for advancing the development and adoption of superior new varieties."

Huang Yanqiu, deputy section chief of Nanning's Agricultural and Rural Bureau Seed Management Section, stressed the importance of plant variety protection in boosting quality and farmer incomes. With court backing, Nanning now guides variety owners to file civil suits against major infringement cases involving cross-regional, large-scale, and unrepentant counterfeiting. Courts also receive critical technical support—including variety authenticity testing, propagation scale assessments, and industry standard applications—enabling seamless collaboration between administrative enforcement, judicial rulings, and technical expertise.

Currently, rice varieties in the Yexiangyou series, independently developed by Nanning agricultural firms, have secured multiple plant variety rights. This has emboldened companies to persist in breeding research, tackling the challenge of high quality with lower yields. Farmers planting this series enjoy purchase prices roughly 20% higher, underscoring the clear income benefits throughout the premium rice industry chain. Moving forward, Nanning will ramp up public education on administrative and judicial protections, standardize variety licensing and transfer procedures, and ensure breeding innovations reach commercialization under robust legal safeguards.

"New varieties developed through painstaking effort shouldn't be shelved—they must be turned into prosperity-driving productivity," remarked Lu Hongming, vice president of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region High People's Court.

These efforts highlight a broader push by Guangxi courts to fortify intellectual property protections. On January 29, 2026, with approval from the Supreme People's Court, the Nanning Intellectual Property Court was officially inaugurated. It centrally hears eight categories of technical IP cases across Guangxi—including invention patents, utility models, new plant varieties, and integrated circuit layout designs—establishing a specialized judicial framework for IP disputes.

With the rise of short-drama content, the court is pioneering copyright protection in this sector. In cases involving dramas like "Zhen Guo Shen Zun" and "Nv Er De Shou Hu", it has set clear boundaries for creative works, cracking down on homogeneous plagiarism and guiding creators toward proper adaptation licensing.

On trademark protection, the court has aggressively combated brand-name exploitation, resolving high-profile infringement cases involving "Bawang Chaji" and "Duoli" to uphold the rights of established brands. Nanning has also established a state-level IP protection center, working jointly with the court to create a comprehensive mechanism integrating theory with practice, judicial and administrative efforts, and domestic and cross-border protections. In the first half of this year alone, the center resolved 80 IP cases, recovering losses for rights holders.

Peng Kun, head of the rapid rights protection department at the Nanning IP Protection Center, stated that collaboration with the Nanning Intellectual Property Court will continue to strengthen across trademark and patent enforcement. Efforts will focus on refining interdepartmental coordination, elevating the quality of "pre-mediation plus judicial confirmation" partnerships, and safeguarding regional innovation outcomes.