BIZCHINA / Biz Media Digest

Culture: Patent applications
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-07-03 16:27

The number of patent applications filed to the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) had topped three million by late June, setting a new milestone in China's drive toward comprehensive intellectual property (IP) protection.

SIPO Director Tian Lipu said it took nearly 15 years for China to reach its first one million patent applications, following the introduction of the Patent Law in the mid-1980s. It then took about four years to reach the next one million, but it only took two more years to reach the three million mark.

"The rapid expansion of patent applications in China reflects the significant development of China's IP environment, and also indicates the country's focus on innovation and IP protection," Tian said.

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