BEIJING -- The top legislature has started a round of inspections on the implementation of its Patent Law.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) has organized five groups of inspectors to check in the provinces of Liaoning, Anhui, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Shaanxi, the NPC revealed on Wednesday.

It has also entrusted local legislatures in eight provincial regions, including Tianjin, Shanghai and Sichuan, to conduct the inspections in these places.

They are aimed at improving authorities' work in protecting intellectual property rights (IPR) and encouraging innovation as well as raising awareness of IPR protection among the public.

Inspectors will investigate how local authorities have worked to help create a sound environment for supporting patents and protecting inventors' rights, according to the NPC.

They will also review the work of companies, colleges and scientific institutions to improve their applications for patents and the utilization and protection of their patents.

The Patent Law, which was enacted in 1984, has had three major revisions in the past 30 years.

The NPC Standing Committee last inspected the law's implementation in 2006.