IP Scene
1.Liaoning
Intense competition drives record patent applications
Patent applications hit a record high in Dalian in 2009, surpassing 11,000 to mark "a remarkable achievement in the city's technological innovation", according to the city's intellectual administration.
The number grew 40 percent over the previous year, a result of mounting market competition and strong encouragement by local authorities, according to the administration.
Nearly 2,400 applications were for invention patents, a year-on-year increase of 34 percent, accounting for more than one fifth of the total.
Innovation is at a premium as worldwide economic weakness drove traditional industries to upgrade and emerging sectors to expand production in a battle over sharply shrinking market shares.
The city government financed 10 large technology industrialization projects with a total of 5 million yuan last year. It also helped more than 100 technology companies with proprietary intellectual property secure venture capital.
2.Shanghai
World Cup fever sometimes a headache for customs
Shanghai customs recently seized 1,000 soccer balls marked with "World Cup 2010" set for export to the Mauritius by a Guangdong-based company.
The exporter mixed the soccer balls with other sports items like skipping ropes in a container in an effort to slip through customs.
Customs officials decided to open the container for investigation after judging it had a high risk of carrying counterfeit materials.
The Federation Internationale de Football Association confirmed the soccer balls infringed on the organization's exclusive use of the World Cup trademark.
It was the second infringement that Shanghai customs investigated related to the world's month-long soccer gala in South Africa.
Last October, a shipment of 1,000 soccer balls with trademark "South Africa 2010" destined for Norway was found to be unauthorized use of the trademark.
3.Hubei
Hotline offers rewards to infringement informants
Residents of Wuhan, capital of the central province, can be rewarded for providing information on infringers to a local intellectual property aid center if the reports are found to be true.
The center said informants will be paid according to the value of the information they provide. The current reward of up to 2,000 yuan is expected to increase annually.
Since a hotline began operation last year, the center received 800 calls for consultation and complaints about a wide range of goods, from trademarks, copyrights, and patents to the Olympic logo.
4.Anhui
High-tech boost includes hybrid cars, new materials
The high-tech industry in the eastern province generated more than 390 billion yuan in industrial output in 2009, an increase of 21.6 percent over the previous year.
Large innovation projects in hybrid-energy cars, photovoltaics and new materials were key in achieving the growth despite the global financial crisis, according to the provincial governmental department of science and technology.
Technological experts and specialists from 90 institutes of higher learning and research centers were invited to offer advice to more than 400 local companies, providing a boost to growth in the provincial high-tech industry, the department said.
5.Yunnan
Drought relief database carries 250,000 patents
A patent database for drought relief is now available on the official website of the provincial intellectual property administration.
Jointly launched by the local administration and the Intellectual Property Publishing House, the database summarizes more than 250,000 patents related to irrigation, efficient use of water, technologies and facilities for water transportation and storage, as well as rainmaking, insect prevention and drought-resistant plants, sourced from nine countries and two international organizations as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan regions.
The southwestern province has suffered a serious drought since the second half of last year.
The database is expected to help both locals and governmental departments in their fight against the drought.
(China Daily 03/17/2010 page17)
