IP scene

Beijing

Agro-tech center opens

The Ministry of Agriculture inaugurated a national agro-tech transfer service center in late January. The center offers services including technology collection, evaluation, exhibition and promotion, as well as information release. The new center also provides a sales portal for agricultural technologies from across the country. The uniform administration is expected to facilitate online trade in agro-tech and promote commercialization of various agricultural research findings, industrial insiders said.

Guangming Daily

Conference dates set

The Copyright Protection Center of China will hold a copyright service conference from March 2 to 3. The meeting will discuss a range of issues and will focus on online copyright protection. At the meeting, the National Copyright Administration will also announce the top 10 events selected from the copyright field in 2014. Since its debut in 2009, the CPCC annual conference has provided a venue for information exchanges for the creative industry, organizers said.

people.com.cn

Guangdong

First circuit court ready

The nation's first circuit court of the Supreme Court opened in Shenzhen last week. The court will hear major administrative, civil and commercial cases in Guangdong and Hainan provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, which used to be dealt with by the Supreme Court. Disputes involving intellectual property, the maritime business, overseas commerce, national compensation and death sentence reviews will still be heard by the Supreme Court's headquarters.

China IP News

Copyright awards presented

The Shenzhen Copyright Gold Awards were presented in mid-January. The awards comprised of six categories for copyright products, use, protection, managers, influential companies and special contributions. The annual event has become a brand for local copyright-based businesses, and played an instrumental role in promoting the sector, said Zhan Peiming, chairman of the city's copyright association. "It has set up a group of models in copyright creation, use, protection and management and helps develop a long-term mechanism for copyright protection and use," he said.

Chinanews.com

Shaanxi

Military projects progress

The province had the most military industry patents in the country, according to a defense technology meeting held in Xi'an on Jan 31. Officials said that a number of military-civilian-combined projects made progress last year, including the MA700 and ARJ21-700 aircraft. Nearly 140 civilian companies in the province were granted licenses for weapon R&D. This year the government will encourage military companies to cooperate with other investors.

Shaanxi Daily

Fujian

Surge in loans

A total of 98 companies secured more than 1.4 billion yuan ($224 million) in patentcollateralized loans in the province last year. This marked a surge of 150 percent from 2013, according to data from the provincial IP authority. The growth was in part attributed to collaboration between local governments and bankers on promoting IP commercialization. The IP administrators in the province's five cities issued policies that offer financial aid to support such loans.

Science and Technology Daily

Jiangsu

Locomotives exported

CSR Qishuyan Co Ltd, a train and component maker in Changshu, will provide Thailand with 20 locomotives, or engine cars, this year. The first two units passed tests on Jan 4 and a delivery ceremony was held on Jan 23. The Chinadesigned meter gauge diesel locomotives are the most powerful of their kind in the world. It is the first time that the company has exported its products to Thailand and is the country's first purchase of diesel locomotives from China in 30 years.

Jschina.com.cn

(China Daily 02/04/2015 page17)