On October 11, 2025, China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) announced new rules on the jurisdiction of internet court cases, effective November 1, 2025. The changes narrow the remit of the three specialist internet courts in Beijing, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou, directing them to concentrate on “cutting-edge, complex, and rule-of-law-significant” online disputes.
As a result, the internet courts will no longer hear copyright disputes involving works first published online, infringement disputes concerning works disseminated online, product liability cases tied to e-commerce transactions, or traditional online infringement disputes. This marks a significant departure from recent years, when internet courts issued landmark rulings on AI-copyright matters.
In a recent World Trademark Review article, Eligon IP partner Amy Hsiao described the removal of AI-copyright cases from internet court jurisdiction as a “significant structural shift.” She cautioned that moving hearings to non-specialist local courts could extend timelines and reduce consistency, given that internet court judges have developed deep expertise in digital evidence authentication and online content valuation.
She also highlighted procedural complications for mixed complaints, such as those combining copyright infringement with unfair competition, which will now require separate filings. This will increase costs and complexity until appellate IP courts unify outcomes at the second instance.
On a positive note, local filing may improve access to justice for smaller rights holders outside the Beijing-Hangzhou-Guangzhou circuit. “Overall, it’s a practical move that reflects China’s intent to rebalance specialization with accessibility,” Hsiao concluded. “But it’s likely a short-term fix. The real test will be whether local courts can build sufficient digital IP expertise to sustain consistency without relying on the internet court model.”
Newstead, Louise. “China’s Internet Courts Will No Longer Hear AI-copyright Cases Following Jurisdictional Shake-up” World Trademark Review, Oct. 14, 2025. worldtrademarkreview.com
