Rights protection still top priority in 2020

Country to work toward more ambitious goals as it seeks to become global powerhouse

China will improve its intellectual property protection and promote IP commercialization and industrialization, officials said at the Conference of Directors of National Intellectual Property Offices in Beijing from Monday to Tuesday.

The year 2020 marks the end not only of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) but also the Outline of the National Intellectual Property Strategy issued in 2008.

Shen Changyu, commissioner of the National Intellectual Property Administration, said NIPA has now completed the draft of another outline designed to help China grow into an IP powerhouse by 2035.

"We will speed up the formulation of the document and submit it to the central government for approval in 2020," Shen said.

"This year will also see our endeavors to implement the directive titled The Guideline on Strengthening Intellectual Property Rights Protection, which was released in November and called for stricter IP protection," he said.

Xiao Yaqing, director of the State Administration for Market Regulation, said that since last year, reforms in China's IP field have steadily progressed, protection has been strengthened and international influence has been further enhanced.

"IP is key to promoting an innovative economy and high-quality development. Strengthening IP protection is important in enhancing China's core competitiveness in the world," Xiao added.

Commissioner Shen pointed out the authorities completed the main objectives and tasks in the national IP system last year and accelerated the pace of building China into an IP powerhouse.

The country made remarkable achievements in IP over the past year, he said.

A total of 453,000 invention patents, 1.58 million utility models and 557,000 industrial designs were authorized.

The number of invention patents per 10,000 people in China reached 13.3, which completed tasks set out in the 13th Five-Year Plan in advance.

There were 6.41 million trademarks registered last year, which enabled the total effective trademark inventory to reach 25.22 million trademark registrations. It means that on average, 4.9 market entities own a registered trademark.

A total of 2,385 geographical indication products and 5,324 registered GI trademarks were approved last year. And the total amount of loans using patents or trademarks as collateral exceeded 150 billion yuan ($21.5 billion). Patent royalties in foreign trade during the first 11 months of last year reached $37.19 billion, including $6.01 billion in export, up 19.2 percent year-on-year.

The period for dealing with a filing for a high-value patent was shortened to 17.3 months and the average time of processing a trademark application was cut to four and a half months.

Social satisfaction of IP protection reached a record high－78.98 out of 100－with China rising to 14th place in the Global Innovation Index Report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization.

In addition, international patent applications filed via the Patent Cooperation Treaty reached 6,100 last year, an increase of 10.4 percent year-on-year.

The Madrid system, designed for international trademark applications, received 6,491 filings from Chinese applicants in 2019.

Shen said in 2020 the IP industry will focus on strengthening top-level design, promoting high-standard protection, and improving quality and efficiency in dealing with filings.

Realizing the value of IP, enhancing public service levels, deepening international cooperation, especially with countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, and promoting personnel training are also being given priority on NIPA's agenda for this year, he added.

yinruowei@chinadaily.com.cn