IP scene

Liaoning

Record invention patents filed

Last year, Liaoning saw 20,500 invention patent applications filed, 43,500 trademarks registered and seven geographical indications added, according to an intellectual property report released by the provincial government's information office on April 19. Behind the achievement is an improved system for intellectual property protection and market supervision. Enforcement officials investigated more than 1,000 patent disputes and handled nearly 250 trademark infringement complaints throughout the year.

Nen.com.cn

Jilin

Deals signed at tech fair

The second match-making fair of technological achievements was held last week in Jilin provincial capital, Changchun, where agreements on the commercialization of 10 patents were signed, involving a total value of more than 87 million yuan ($13.8 million). The province in Northeast China has been deepening its innovation-driven development strategy in recent years to help commercialize more technological achievements. In 2017, nearly 1,220 patents were commercialized in the province.

Takungpao.com

Beijing

New centers to be established

The capital's intellectual property office is working on the establishment of two IP protection centers, which will focus on serving high-tech businesses, such as new-generation information technology, high-end equipment manufacturing, new materials and biomedicine, and accelerating industrial development. They are expected to reduce the patent examination period from one year to six months.

Bjnews.com.cn

Painter sues for copyright

Renowned painter Han Meilin, who created the mascot images for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, has filed a copyright complaint against Fantasy Legend Culture Media Co with the Haidian District People's Court. Han said he gave one of his Chinese calligraphy works to his students, Chao Ziwei and Chao Ziyi, at their request. The brothers used it for advertising their own art exhibition. The cultural company, which has cooperated with the brothers since 2015, applied for a trademark with a fragment of the calligraphic work in 2015 and was granted one in 2016. Han said the company violated his rights to signature, copy, amendment, payment and keep the creation intact. The defendant said Han failed to prove he was the creator. The court heard the case on April 17, with further investigation pending.

Beijing Youth Daily

Anhui

Group founded for plants

The Anhui Seeds Association's new plant variety protection branch was founded in Hefei, capital of Anhui province in East China, earlier this month. It is the first provincial-level body of its kind in the country, according to Cui Yehan, deputy head of the Anhui Seeds Management Center. The inauguration ceremony attracted more than 160 government officials, researchers and business representatives in the sector.

Zoioo.com

Hubei

Court reports rise in disputes

The Hubei High People's Court announced on April 22 that judges across the province dealt with nearly 13,900 intellectual property cases last year, surpassing the previous benchmark of 10,000. In addition to an increase in copyright disputes, the number of cases in other areas, regarding patents, new plant varieties, know-how and new business models also went up.

Legal Daily

Chongqing

Celebration of World IP Day

The local authorities held a copyright protection exhibition on Tuesday to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day, which falls on April 26. The exhibition covered highlights of the government's copyright work, crackdown on piracy, prosecutors' investigations and an introduction to a local court's intellectual property division. Organizers handed out more than 3,000 copies of promotional materials at the event.

Cpnews.net

(China Daily 04/26/2018 page17)