Data, privacy and virtual property
The current rule includes network-data ownership, infringement and contract disputes; online personal-information and privacy disputes; and network virtual-property ownership, infringement and contract disputes.
01Position in the system
Specialist jurisdiction is narrower than an online filing channel
Hangzhou Internet Court hears designated first-instance internet cases that would otherwise fall within basic-level court jurisdiction in Hangzhou. Since 1 November 2025, the Supreme People's Court's revised jurisdiction rule has focused internet courts on nine categories including network data, personal information and privacy, virtual property, online unfair competition, domain names, specified online shopping and service contracts, specified administrative disputes and internet public-interest litigation. A dispute involving the internet does not automatically belong here.
What it doesSpecialist internet-case adjudication.
When it mattersPlatform, e-commerce and online-copyright disputes in the Hangzhou internet-court model.
02Jurisdiction
What this court is designed to hear
Test subject matter, territorial connection, court level and any jurisdiction agreement before using the court's online platform.
Digital-market disputes
Covered categories include online unfair competition, domain-name disputes, shopping contracts concluded or performed through e-commerce platforms, and network-service contracts concluded and performed online.
Public and regulatory cases
The court may hear specified administrative disputes involving online regulation and internet public-interest litigation brought by procuratorial organs when the territorial and level requirements are met.
•Process orientation
How the institutional process fits together
A practical orientation based on the institution's published materials; current rules and the arbitration agreement control.
Classify the claim
Match the actual cause of action to the current nine-category rule rather than relying on the fact that evidence, communications or performance occurred online.
Establish Hangzhou jurisdiction
Confirm the territorial connection and that the case is one a basic-level court should hear. Any jurisdiction clause must satisfy governing law, including rules for standard terms.
Use the official litigation route
The Hangzhou platform provides online case and mediation access; verify current service notices and system availability before a deadline.
Prepare electronic materials
Organize party identity, claims, jurisdiction facts, evidence and legible electronic copies. Preserve originals and source data where authenticity could be disputed.
Follow online or hybrid directions
Online litigation can cover filing, mediation, evidence exchange, hearings, judgment and service, but the court may direct that a step occur offline.
•Practical scenarios
Questions that change the research route
Use these examples to identify what must be checked before treating the institution as the correct forum.
| Situation | Why it matters | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| A Hangzhou-connected claim concerns misuse of personal information | Online personal-information and privacy disputes are within the current subject-matter list | Territorial basis, basic-level jurisdiction, defendants, relief and evidence preservation. |
| A dispute arose from an e-commerce transaction | A shopping contract concluded or performed through an e-commerce platform may qualify | Transaction channel, place of performance, consumer or business status and any valid jurisdiction term. |
| The evidence is online but the claim is an ordinary offline dispute | Digital evidence alone does not establish internet-court subject-matter jurisdiction | The legal claim against the exhaustive current categories and the competent ordinary court. |
03Official resources
Court and procedure resources
Start with primary institutional sources. Verify service links and procedural status before relying on a filing path.
05Related legal concepts
Build the vocabulary around your research
Short, practical definitions for concepts most likely to appear alongside this institution.
01
Research tag
Subject-matter jurisdiction
The defined dispute categories a specialist internet court may hear.
02
Research tag
Online litigation
Court procedure conducted wholly or partly through an authorized litigation platform.
03
Research tag
Electronic evidence
Digitally created or stored evidence whose source, integrity and connection to the claim may require proof.
06Primary sources
How this entry was source-reviewed
The review date describes when the listed primary sources were checked. It is not a guarantee that jurisdiction remains unchanged after that date.
SPC 2025 Internet Court Jurisdiction ProvisionsCurrent case categories, territorial scope, agreements and appeal framework.
Open source
SPC Online Litigation RulesNational framework for online and hybrid court procedure.
Open source
Hangzhou Internet Court platformOfficial filing, mediation and operational service routes.
Open source
Reference boundary
Online facts and online procedure are different jurisdiction questions.
First establish that the claim falls within the current specialist categories and has the required Hangzhou connection. Then confirm the filing platform, evidence format, deadline and whether the court will conduct each step online or offline.