IP scene

Beijing

400 new varieties of plants registered in 2016

Applications for registration of new plant varieties from China and abroad with the State Forestry Administration numbered 400 in 2016, with total filings reaching nearly 2,190, according to an annual forestry intellectual property report released by the centers of technology development and IP research at the SFA recently. The report shows that a total of nearly 1,200 new plant varieties have been approved in China. A stockpile of approximately 151,780 forestry-related patents, 827 geographic indications and more than 5,230 copyrights involved in the sector have been publicized in the country.

Forestry.gov.cn

Students compete in script contest

At a recent competition designed for young scriptwriters nationwide, Guo Shuyi from Peking University won the top award, while Lyu Mo from Tsinghua University took second. Students from the Central Academy of Drama and Hong Kong Baptist University shared third prize. The event started in November and attracted more than 300 original scripts from across the country, with the majority coming from Beijing and Shanghai. Of them, 33 entries reached the final in Beijing in late May. A select group of finalists will receive support to stage their works within the year, organizers said.

China Intellectual Property News

Intl high-tech expo returns for 20th year

The 20th China Beijing International High-tech Expo is scheduled to be held from June 8 to 10, showcasing the latest technological solutions with proprietary intellectual property in China, organizers announced at a news conference in late May. The exhibits will come from such sectors as space flight, information technology and advanced manufacturing. Previous sessions attracted more than 900 trade delegations from over 100 countries and regions. More than 33,000 high-tech businesses and research institutes displayed their technologies and products during the event, drawing at least 5.2 million visits.

Chinanews.com

Shandong

Province leads nation in geographical indications

Sixty-two trademarks were granted geographic indication status in Shandong in East China last year, enabling the province's total GIs to surpass 480, more than any other province nationwide, according to local officials. The trademarks are mainly used in Shandong's traditional farm products, including fruits, vegetables, grains, aquatic products, livestock and poultry. Their owners cover 17 cities and more than 100 counties, with Jining taking up 108, Weifang securing 83 and Yantai reporting 40.

China Industry And Commerce News

Shanghai

Blockchain portal provides 'digital DNA'

A copyright trade and protection portal using blockchain technology went online recently in Shanghai, the first of its kind in China. The online platform can give each item publicized on it a "digital DNA", which records the information of its creator, owner and release time, in addition to the content itself. Content authenticated with the technology can be promoted for commercial use or free sharing. The data cannot be damaged or falsified, according to its operator, a local IT startup company.

China Securities Journal

Jiangsu

TCM patents require further protection

As the Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine is slated to take effect on July 1, experts called for related authorities to roll out an inventory of traditional expertise at a TCM intellectual property seminar held in Suzhou in late May. They also suggested enhancing the protection of herbal medicines' geographic indications. The new law has a special section on protection of TCM technology, production procedures, recipes and related animal and plant resources. Of herbal patent filings worldwide, TCM contributed some 44.4 percent, yet just 0.3 percent of those came from China, according to the PCT database.

Huanqiu.com

Overseas

Moscow exhibition features Chinese brands

The China Commodity Fair

2017, which opened in Moscow on Tuesday and lasted through Thursday, attracted more than 260 Chinese companies involved in home appliances, electronics, household articles and decorations, gardening and outdoor products, kitchenware, appliances, and festival treats and gifts to display their products in a 10,000-square-meter exhibition area. The annual event is designed to increase overseas businesspeople's faith in Chinese brands and promote international cooperation, said officials from the Ministry of Commerce.

Economic Information Daily

(China Daily 06/01/2017 page17)