CNIS Publishes Annual SEP Development Report for Third Consecutive Year

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22-October-2026 14:09

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The China National Institute of Standardization (CNIS) announced on October 21 that it has published its annual report on standard essential patent (SEP) development for the third consecutive year, continuing a bilingual research series launched in 2024. The publications track the evolving relationship between technological innovation, patents and standardization in China and internationally.

CNIS said SEPs have become strategically valuable innovation resources, with growing implications for industrial competitiveness and the stability of industrial and supply chains. International organizations are deepening their governance activities, while developed economies and emerging markets are increasingly active in shaping SEP strategies, legislation, judicial practice and enforcement. These developments are influencing innovation and competition across key industries.

The annual series draws on the institute’s long-term monitoring of domestic and international policies and practices, alongside analysis of more than one million records covering declarations, standards, patents, policies and cases. CNIS positions the reports as resources for government departments, industry associations, universities, research institutions, businesses and professionals working on SEP issues.

The inaugural 2024 edition was described by CNIS as China’s first comprehensive annual SEP report. Its six sections explained fundamental concepts and stakeholder behaviour, reviewed international organizations’ policies, examined developments in major jurisdictions, discussed licensing and dispute resolution trends, summarized Chinese practice, and considered how coordinated development of standards and patents could support new quality productive forces.

The 2025 edition introduced statistical and analytical support from CNIS’s independently developed “Insight SEP” intelligent tool. Organized into five sections, it offered reference methods for coordinating standards and patents, reviewed international institutional practice and national developments, assessed China’s progress and challenges, and proposed governance recommendations for the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan period.

Together, the three editions provide a continuing reference for understanding how SEP governance and commercial practice are developing. Their coverage connects international policy discussions with the practical concerns of patent owners, standards implementers and other participants in the innovation system.

CNIS has made the Chinese full reports and English executive summaries for all three years available. Readers seeking the complete English editions can contact the drafting team at insightsep@cnis.ac.cn. The institute said it would continue monitoring developments, collaborating with stakeholders and updating the annual series.

The 2026 report expands this work through six sections covering the SEP ecosystem, international governance, developments in major jurisdictions, industry practice, China’s achievements and the outlook for the 15th Five-Year Plan period. It encourages innovators to coordinate technology development, patent portfolios and standardization when preparing for emerging and future industries.

Its ecosystem analysis follows three stages: technology formation, licensing negotiations and dispute resolution. It maps the roles of companies, universities, intellectual property authorities, standards bodies, patent pools, licensing negotiation groups, courts, enforcement agencies and service providers, showing how multiple institutions shape the development and commercial use of standardized technologies.

The international governance section reviews WTO proceedings concerning China and the European Union, WIPO information tools and dispute resolution services, and patent-related practices at ISO, IEC and ITU. Its statistical analysis records 6,950 patent disclosure declarations across those three standards organizations by the end of 2025, up 1.82% from 2024.

Those declarations concerned 2,031 standards, representing 4.43% of the organizations’ combined standards total. The report distinguishes declarations from verified patent essentiality and notes that incomplete disclosure, excessive disclosure and differences in database practices can affect statistical results. Its underlying declaration data were collected through December 31, 2025.

The jurisdictional review covers the United States, European Union, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, India, Brazil and Morocco. It examines strategic planning, legislation, enforcement, litigation, international cooperation and research, illustrating the widening geographical reach of SEP governance and the increasing importance of developments beyond traditional patent litigation centres.

The industry section describes licensing activity extending into connected vehicles, payment terminals, other Internet of Things devices and streaming services. It examines patent pools, alternative dispute resolution and licensing negotiation groups, alongside bilateral negotiations and litigation. Together, these developments demonstrate a broader range of participants and approaches to managing SEP licensing.

The final sections review Chinese policy and judicial practice before recommending closer coordination of policy frameworks, working mechanisms and research. Priorities include linking technology research, patent planning, standards development and industrial application, while strengthening cooperation across government, industry, universities and research institutions to support innovation and improve SEP governance.

Source for the 2026 report coverage: E:/202609 Bestao News new model/20261019-1030/2026 CNIS SEP report -Chinese.pdf

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