It remains unclear what action the Supreme People's Court will take to reform how China handles intellectual property rights cases, yet authorities in coastal areas have already set the wheels in motion.

Jiangsu province and Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, have shown interest in creating a dedicated IPR court.

Xu Qianfei, president of the Jiangsu High People's Court, said at an international forum in December that the province is gearing up for such a move.