Business

Examiners go on site for company consultation

By Lu Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-08 07:30

The State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) began stationing examiners at company offices in the Zhongguancun area in Beijing in late August to help with documentation for patent applications.

SIPO patent examiners, working on a "practice basis", are assisting with paperwork and consulting on the spot.

The Zhongguancun area is home to nearly 20,000 high-tech companies and research institutions. The first three examiners began a month-long assignment at China National BlueStar (Group) Corp on August 31.

The program is designed to provide face-to-face communication between corporate intellectual property teams and patent examiners over a range of procedures such as application drafts, reviews and replies.

The administrative officials are also expected to aid companies in identifying technologies with patent potential and avert potential infringement.

Working at a company provides examiners more knowledge about research and development, production and management while giving them a glimpse at the latest industry trends and expanding their reservoir of knowledge.

In response to the push for more filings in recent years, patent quality has decreased as accuracy in wording, logic and reasonable claims for protection - all crucial to applications - many times failed to meet requirements.

Without effective communication with examiners, companies often face patent rejection or difficulty in receiving a reply.

In 2008, SIPO began sending examiners to company sites in Shanghai, Wuhan and Yantai.

BlueStar Group, its first in-house placement in Beijing, is among the nation's intellectual property demonstration units and a patent model organization.

The heightened exchange between the government and enterprises will benefit both sides, said Lu Shaohua, vice-general manager of the BlueStar Group Corp.

China Daily