China's IP journey

• Author: Tian Lipu - Zhou Bohua - Liu Binjie
• Position: Commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office of China (SIPO) - Minister of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) - Director of the National Copyright Administration of the People's Republic of China (NCAC)
• Pages: 25-28

In the 30 years since China joined the World

Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the

country’s progress in the field of intellectual prop-

erty (IP) has been remarkable. Today, China has one

of the top five patent offices in the world and hosts

the world’s largest trademark office. It has made his-

toric advances in the development of its copyright

system and is home to a vibrant creative sector. The

world’s second largest economy clearly embraces

IP in its drive to become an innovation-based econ-

omy. To mark this anniversary,

WIPO Magazine

invit-

ed three leading Chinese (figures in IP) to offer their

perspectives on China’s IP journey.

Commissioner

Tian Lipu

of the State Intellectual Property Office of

China (SIPO) talks about the evolution of the

Chinese patent landscape; Mr.

Zhou Bohua

,

Minister of the State Administration for Industr y

and Commerce (SAIC) outlines China’s achieve-

ments in the area of trademark protection; and

Minister Liu Binjie

, Director of the National

Copyright Administration of the People’s Republic

of China (NCAC) describes China’s commitment to

the protection of copyright.

China and IP

Commissioner Tian Lipu, SIPO

Prior to 1980, the year in which China joined WIPO,

the concept of IP was almost unknown in China,

and the value of intellectual assets had yet to be

recognized. However, thanks to the determination

and unremitting effor ts of the Chinese people, a

sound IP system – compatible with China’s devel-

opment needs and consistent with international

rules – has been established and at an unprece-

dented pace. In the past 30 years, China has:

set up a comprehensive IP legal framework and

operational system;

implemented an effective mechanism for the ad-

ministrative and judicial protection of IP;

acceded to 13 WIPO-administered international

IP treaties;

comprehensively carried out its obligations un-

der international treaties and agreements; and

provided effective IP protection to right holders

at home and abroad.

The international community, including WIPO and

other international organizations and various coun-

tries, has given us energetic support in promoting

the development and improvement of China’s IP

system. This has enabled us to train our IP profes-

sionals and to more widely disseminate IP informa-

tion to promote gre ater public awareness a nd

knowledg e of IP in China.

Along with continuous improvements to the coun-

try’s IP legal framework, China has witnessed rapid

growth in the use of the IP system, experiencing

dramatic increases in the number of applications

for IP rights. Patents, trademarks and copyright play

an increasingly prominent role in national econom-

ic development, and IP awareness throughout

Chinese society has risen considerably.

In 2008, the government launched Ch ina’s nation-

al IP strategy, marking a t urning point in its en-

gagement with IP and clearly ind icating China’s

steadfast determination to encourage innovation

and create a knowledge-base d economy.

China’s patent system

Since it s establishm ent in 1985, Ch ina’s patent

system has matured c onsiderably, breakin g new

records and signific antly improv ing the cou ntry’s

innovat ive capacit y. In the fi rst decade of the 21st

centur y, patent applications in China grew by an

average annu al rate of 22.3 percen t. From January

CHINA’S IP JOURNEY

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Patent applications filed with SIPO

Photo: SIPO

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