China has also been developing its legal protection of intellectual property. Our reporter Dai Kaiyi visits the south-central province of Hunan to see how one tech-focused court is zeroing in on IP cases.

DAI KAIYI Changsha "Avant-garde and futuristic, this complex behind me is an icon of innovation for Changsha's court of justice."

Looking nothing like a traditional tribunal on the outside, the Changsha Intellectual property court is full of cutting-edge technologies such as AR, VR, and Judicial blockchain.

It's an internet trial chamber, for example, that makes it possible for clients to attend remotely if they are not in town or when the community was hit by coronavirus clusters earlier this year.

FAN DENGFENG Vice President Changsha Intermediate People's Court "The Intellectual Property Court is meant to integrate Changsha into the country's judicial protection system for intellectual property, and to provide strong judicial security for domestic and foreign assets."

The court breaks the mold of the industry, as criminal trials, civil trials, and administrative trials can all be tried here, meeting the growing demand for intellectual property disputes, which are usually more complicated and require specialized know-how.

Since its establishment in 2018, the court has heard nearly 20,000 cases via what's called the "three-in-one trial " model.

Apart from domestic brands, illegal acts targeted at foreign-owned enterprises such as Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz, and Toyota have all been kept in check thanks to the court's efforts.

FAN DENGFENG Vice President Changsha Intermediate People's Court "Thanks to the help from local authorities, we are ready to invest more than 25 million yuan -- along with investments of manpower, material resources, and informatization -- to turn the court into a first-class, informatized court able to provide litigants with more efficient, comprehensive services."

Going forward, those in the city who work directly with the court also say they plan on joining hands to safeguard Intellectual Property space for the Hunan Pilot Free Trade Zone.

SUN JIN Director, Changsha Intellectual Property Office "We are aiming to provide one-stop service, and develop finance and investment systems for the intellectual property of companies in the free trade zone, which will promote the rapid development of the region."

This rising judicial icon south of the Yellow River sees itself in a good position, from which it can integrate itself into the running of broader geographical areas and efforts, like the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and even the Belt and Road Initiative. DKY, CGTN, Changsha.