Entitled "Regulations on Enhancing Intellectual Property Protection on National Scientific Programs", the regulations aim to encourage and safeguard technological innovations and accelerate the commercialization of new technology, the newspaper said.

Research institutes and technological firms should have special departments, staff and funds for intellectual property protection when undertaking scientific projects, according to the regulations.

The regulations require research institutes and technological firms to investigate domestic and overseas technological projects to avoid duplication. They should stop or readjust their research plans if their projects have been patented by any domestic or overseas institutes.

In the past, some academic institutes carried out projects that duplicated work elsewhere due to their ignorance of intellectual property protection, the newspaper quoted sources with the ministry as saying.

The newspaper said that research institutes undertaking large scientific projects of international importance will receive government subsidies when applying for patents in foreign countries.

Researchers are also required to take part in training courses on intellectual property rights before they begin technological projects, according to the regulations.

China implemented the Patent Law in 1985 and the State Intellectual Property Office has received over 1.62 million patent applications since then, 83 percent of which are domestic ones, the newspaper said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 13, 2003)