Plan aimed at developing more high-value patents

Editor’s note: The State Council, China’s Cabinet, recently issued a plan to protect and utilize intellectual property. Officials of the China National Intellectual Property Administration attended a news conference at the State Council Information Office late last month to outline what China will do to improve IP production in the coming years. Below are excerpts of the remarks made by one of the officials, Liang Xinxin, who is director general of the administration’s Strategic Planning Department.

High-value invention patents cover four categories. The first are those in emerging industries of strategic importance, such as next-generation information technology and new energy sectors. The second are invention patents with an overseas patent family. The third are patents that have been maintained for more than 10 years. The fourth are invention patents that have won the National Science and Technology Awards or the China Patent Awards.

At present, patents in emerging industries of strategic importance account for over 70 percent of China’s high-value invention patents. This share is expected to rise further during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period.

A target was set to increase the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 people to more than 22 during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, an increase of more than six compared with the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period. This reflects the country’s confidence in improving its innovation capacity.

The country has set out five priorities for protecting and utilizing intellectual property during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

First, to further bolster the development of an innovation-driven economy, the country will continue refining patent laws, regulations and policies and ensure timely and effective protection for major scientific and technological innovations. It will also promote the commercialization of patents on a regular basis.

Second, the country will strengthen policy guidance to foster more renowned trademark brands with global influence and boost the development of the “brand economy”.

In recent years, China has vigorously advanced the building of brands, cultivating a growing number of domestic brands that enjoy popularity both at home and abroad.

Third, China will continue to boost growth of different regions by promoting local special products. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the country’s geographical indication products played an active role in creating jobs in rural areas and raising farmers’ incomes. The country will further strengthen the protection of GIs to provide stronger support for comprehensive rural vitalization.

Fourth, China will work to better support the development of the digital economy. It will keep enhancing the protection of intellectual property in the integrated circuit sector by effectively implementing the newly revised Regulations on the Protection of Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits. Meanwhile, it will advance efforts to formulate rules governing the protection of data-related intellectual property.

Fifth, the country will continue to uphold an open economy. It will strengthen the research on foreign intellectual property laws and policies, and improve its guidance for Chinese companies to handle overseas intellectual property disputes.

It will also align closely with high-standard international economic and trade rules, continue to provide equal protection for the intellectual property of both domestic and foreign-invested enterprises, deepen intellectual property cooperation with major trading partners, and strive to build a market-oriented, law-based and world-class business environment.