An adjudication tribunal on intellectual property for the China (Shanghai) Pilot Trade Zone is expected to be established, according to Lyu Guoqiang, director of the Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration.

“A tribunal for the zone was set up earlier this month to accept civil and commercial cases and we’ll decide whether to establish an intellectual property adjudication tribunal based on the number of cases,” Lyu told China Daily on Thursday.

Intellectual property disputes in the zone will be addressed as per?international conventions, to which China is a party, as well as existing laws in the country, he said during the seventh Shanghai Patent Week from Nov 21 through 27.

Despite the establishment of the tribunal, he said businesses are encouraged to resolve disputes over intellectual property before going to court to save costs and improve efficiency.

“The companies can either go to an arbitration committee or mediate among themselves with the assistance of a third party,” he said.