Companies urged to boost efforts to protect IP rights

Chinese companies should do more to protect their intellectual property rights and strengthen overseas patent registration to avoid unfair treatment in international trade disputes, experts said.

With China's developing export-oriented economy, knowing international regulations on intellectual property rights has become a must for domestic companies given increasing frictions over creative works between China and its major export markets.

In 2013, the US International Trade Commission launched 42 Section 337 investigations on patent infringements, 13 of which looked into Chinese companies, according to the State Intellectual Property Office on Tuesday.