IP scene

Jiangsu

Rights deal struck on super rice breed

Jiangsu Agricultural Seed Industry Co signed a 12 million yuan ($1.8 million) deal with Lianyuangang's academy of agricultural sciences in late September, to secure exclusive rights for the production and distribution of a new breed of rice. The new variety developed by the academy features high quality and high yields and is especially suitable for plantations in Jiangsu, Shandong and Henan provinces, its researchers said. The company plans to promote its use in more than 130,000 hectares by 2019.

Jschina.com.cn

Beijing

Slew of piracy cases probed nationally

Copyright administrations across China investigated 18,000 IP cases involving piracy from 2013 to 2016, more than 1,200 of which were transferred to judicial departments, Ministry of Commerce officials told a recent news conference. Over the same period, the government tackled 125,000 patent disputes, including 47,000 patent infringements. Since 2013, regional governments have launched more than 170 IP-related enforcement campaigns.

China Youth Daily

R&D spend soars at Chinese universities

Research and development spending by Chinese universities totaled 99.86 billion yuan ($15.25 billion) in 2015, 3.6 times the level in 2006, according to a report on the innovation capacity of Chinese universities released by the Ministry of Science and Technology. The report said 136,000 patents were granted to universities nationwide in 2015, 9.2 times the number 10 years ago and accounting for about 20 percent of the national total.

Economic Information Daily

Guangdong

Shenzhen vows to escalate protection

The Shenzhen government announced it aims to build a pilot area for IP protection and establish "the strictest IP protection system" in China by 2020. The efforts will include IP protection awards, punitive compensation, a coordination mechanism for lawsuits and mediation and innovative policies for IP creation and use. A draft of the city's IP protection regulations was recently unveiled for public review.

Nanfang Daily

Shandong

Specialized tribunal is established in Jinan

A specialized intellectual property tribunal was recently established in the provincial capital, Jinan. It will hear administrative and civil IP cases in 11 cities in the province. These will involve patents, new plant varieties, integrated circuit designs, computer software, technical secrets, well-known trademarks and monopolies. Officials said the measure will help to integrate Shandong's judicial IP resources.

Qilu Evening News

Shanghai

Court gets technology innovation center

The supreme court has unveiled a technological innovation center for judicial IP protection at the Shanghai IP Court. The research center will report to the supreme court on new challenges and problems - to inform the latter of the practical needs for judicial protection amid the current wave of technological innovation. It will also release regular analysis and research reports, hold seminars and offer training, providing system models to serve the country's innovation-driven development.

People's Court Daily

(China Daily 10/12/2017 page17)