Patent protection will be strengthened this year to spur the
development of cutting-edge technology in China, the State
Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) said Tuesday.
The focus will be on increasing the amount of technological
innovation through better protection for scientists, said Tian
Lipu, vice-commissioner with SIPO.
Patent protection is linked with 12 key scientific projects
launched last year by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Tian
told a press conference ahead of World Intellectual Property Day on
Saturday.
These projects cover information security, computer software,
electronic motor vehicles and other programmes.
SIPO has also launched patent protection programmes in large firms
in 20 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, said Tian.
It will continue to supervise patent systems in these regions.
Starting this year, clients will enjoy computerized online patent
application services, instead of the previous paper-based manual
work. They can also read the latest domestic and overseas patent
documents through websites, Tian added.
Tian said the country's intellectual property system has scored
remarkable achievements over the past few years.
Since China implemented the Patent Law in 1985, SIPO has received
more than 1.62 million patent applications. Domestic applications
account for 83 per cent with foreign ones comprising 17 per cent,
according to the latest SIPO statistics.
A
total of 116 countries or regions have registered patent protection
applications in China. Japan had applied for most patents in China
last year, followed by the United States, Germany, the Republic of
Korea, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Great Britain, Sweden
and Italy.
Sources from the State Administration of Industry and Commerce said
there were a record 370,000 trademark applications last year -- up
37 per cent on 2001.
China received 5,130 trademark applications from only 20 countries
or regions before 1979 when the country began its reform and
opening-up policies. By last year, the country had received a total
of 316,454 trademark applications from 129 countries and
regions.
The Chinese Government tightened anti-piracy campaigns in 1995.
Copyright administrations across the country seized nearly 197
million pirated products from 1995 to 2002, statistics from the
National Copyright Administration have revealed.
The higher people's courts and intermediate people's courts in most
provinces and municipalities have set up intellectual property
trial courts to deepen enforcement of IPR protection, sources from
the National Copyright Administration said.
Custom authorities nationwide cracked 573 intellectual property
infringement cases last year involving more than 95 million yuan
(US$11 million), SIPO's statistics have revealed.
Public security departments throughout China also reinforced their
enforcement work of intellectual property last year. They seized
more than 34,000 cases of pornographic and pirated goods production
tools last year.
(China Daily April 23, 2003)