This article discusses how giving scientists ownership or long-term use rights of their research findings is a crucial reform in China to better use innovation resources. Due to China's system being mostly state-owned, balancing relationships between the state, groups, and individuals is key in reforming research ownership. By looking back at China's history since the establishment of the People's Republic, the article clarifies the importance of public ownership, ownership of research findings, and intellectual property rights in this reform. The goal is to understand the experiences and patterns of ownership reform, gathering ideas for the ongoing reform in research ownership in China.