The 2004 China International Patent Fair will be held next Wednesday in the port city of Dailian in Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Sponsored by the State Intellectual Property Office and the Liaoning Provincial Government, the 4-day fair will present more than 500 patents from over 20 countries and regions, Dalian Vice-Mayor Dai Yulin said at a press conference yesterday.

Dai said most of the patent technologies and products are to be introduced from universities and research institutes.

Some are supported by the national-level 863 Program set by the central government to promote high technologies in the country.

"The patents with high technologies are vital to the industries in Northeast China in the country's drive to revitalize the region's economy," Dai said.

Experts said the fair will provide a view of patent development in the country since it is expected to attract many current patented technologies and products.

To help market the patented items, the fair will provide financial support and other services to those seeking partners to industrialize the patents, Dai said.

During the fair, an International Intellectual Property Protection Forum will also be held. Experts from home and abroad will exchange their ideas and achievements in the field.

At the same time, a consulting service will be available to provide information and advise those facing potential or pending patent disputes.

According to a document released at the press conference, the State Intellectual Property Office received 308,487 requests for patents, including 1171 applications from abroad in 2003, an increase by 22 percent compared with the previous year.

Among them, 182,226 patents have been granted, a 37.6 percent increase compared with the previous year.

On the other hand, many applicants of the 800,000 patents granted so far in the country need assistance in converting their ideas into marketable products.

Meanwhile, Chinese officials and experts urged Chinese exporters to be more attentive to intellectual property rights protection.

They made the call as some nation's stricter IPR standards could create problems for exports of Chinese high-tech products, which have increased rapidly in recent years.

Teng Fei, a senior researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council, pointed out that China had "faced an increasing number of technical barriers that concern IPR protection over the past few years."

The best way to solve the increasing number of IPR cases is to strengthen research and to develop our own IPRs and patents, Teng said.

(China Daily August 13, 2004)