Hong Kong joins WIPO’s global IP judgments database

Hong Kong has signed a landmark agreement with the United Nations’ World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), enabling its judiciary to contribute landmark intellectual property rulings to the WIPO Lex-Judgments database. The move is part of a broader push to position Hong Kong as a regional hub for innovation and intellectual property trading.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU), signed on September 1, allows Hong Kong’s courts to share precedent-setting decisions with WIPO’s global repository, which currently includes more than 2,200 judgments from over 40 jurisdictions.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan said the agreement would enhance transparency and international confidence in Hong Kong’s legal system, particularly in the protection of intellectual property rights.

“Access to important and precedent-setting cases is a valuable resource for judges, IP practitioners, policymakers and users across the IP ecosystem. It enables better understanding of complex, cross-border IP issues,” Chan said. He noted that it helps innovators and businesses understand IP rules in other places and supports legal systems in keeping up with fast-changing technology. Overall, it builds a more connected and transparent global IP system.

Hong Kong’s participation is notable for its common law system and bilingual legal proceedings, which distinguish it from other jurisdictions in China. Chan emphasized that the city ranks sixth globally in IP rights protection, according to the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook.

The WIPO Lex-Judgments database, launched in 2020, provides free access to judicial decisions that shape IP law worldwide. It serves as a resource for judges, legal practitioners, and policymakers navigating increasingly complex cross-border IP issues.

The signing coincided with the release of WIPO’s 2025 Global Innovation Index,

Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou has overtaken Tokyo-Yokohama to become the world’s top cluster for innovation, the United Nations said Monday.

According to WIPO, the Chinese cluster had leapfrogged its Japanese rival in its 2025 Global Innovation Index. Chan expressed optimism that Hong Kong’s growing collaboration with WIPO and its Greater Bay Area partners would further elevate its global standing in innovation.

Hong Kong also plans to host a new technology and innovation support centre, in partnership with WIPO and China’s National Intellectual Property Administration, to help businesses better leverage patent systems and access high-quality IP data.