1 Shandong

US patent legalities

A training program on the US patent system held recently in Qingdao attracted representatives from more than 50 local high-tech firms and patent agencies.

Experts briefed the audience on US legal issues including patent law revisions, infringement investigations by the country's international trade commission and IPR enforcement by customs.

SIPO.gov.cn

2 Shaanxi

Times Square promotion

Master artists from the province showcased traditional craftsmanship and skills such as paper-cutting, clay sculpture and folk painting during a series of cultural events held at New York City's Times Square in mid-July.

The provincial tourism administration also made local Shaanxi cuisine, creating a feast for more than 300 visitors.

Shaanxi.gov.cn

3 Beijing

Sino-Angolan IP

The State Intellectual Property Office and the Angolan Institute of Industrial Property signed a memorandum of understanding last month in Beijing "laying the foundation for cooperation in the intellectual property field", said SIPO officials.

The agreement came during a visit by an Angolan delegation headed by the institute's Director General Barros Bebiano Licenca.

SIPO Commissioner Tian Lipu said his team is willing to share its experience and deepen cooperation with Angola for mutually beneficial development.

Angola will learn from China in patent examination, training and IP enforcement, Licenca said.

Sipo.gov.cn

CAS patent auction

The China Technology Exchange and the Institute of Computing Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences began a patent auction in July that will offer both online and over the counter patent trading through early November.

More than 200 patents developed by the institute are for sale or on display to seek investors.

The patented technologies cover a wide range of sectors including integrated circuits, video processing, and Internet safety and management.

China Securities Journal

Global agency survey

China IP magazine and China Daily IP Special have co-launched a survey of IP service agencies worldwide.

The data collected will include information on agency strength, scale, personnel structure, featured services and China-related business.

Based on survey results, an agency ranking will be announced during China IP's annual meeting.

A forum will be held at the end of this year to recognize outstanding agencies.

To download the survey questionnaire, please visit: ipr.chinadaily.com.cn or www.chinaipmagazine.com

4 Jiangsu

Innovation questionnaire

In cooperation with a consultancy firm, Yangzhou's IP office and financial bureau have begun a survey on innovation capacity and investment in intellectual property in the city.

Questionnaires have been given to 300 local companies, 20 IP agencies and 20 universities to collect data, especially in the high-tech industry.

The study aims to interpret the relationships between IP, industrial production and the city's economic growth, which will provide a reference for policymakers, according to local authorities.

SIPO.gov.cn

5 Sichuan

Gold medal name

Ye Shiwen, winner of the 200 and 400-meter medley competitions at the ongoing London Olympics, could find her name on more than the front of the sports page if a Chengdu company is successful in its trademark application.

The company applied for a trademark on Ye's name for use on swimsuits just a month after she won a gold medal at the World Championships last July.

The company has passed preliminary trademark procedures and begun the required three-month public notification period.

But even if the trademark is granted, it would likely be revoked if Ye objects, legal experts said.

Metropolitan Express

6 Guangdong

Fake BMW wallets

Enforcement officials in Baiyun district seized scores of wallets carrying the BMW logo during a recent raid at a local leather firm.

A suspect surnamed Chen has been arrested for hiring a company to make leather wallets with unauthorized brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Volkswagen, then selling the counterfeits.

Before he was arrested, Chen sold some 1,400 wallets worth at least 110,000 yuan ($17,255).

Many internationally famous brands have been registered as trademarks for use on leather products, though they are rarely seen on the market, said local prosecutors.

Dayoo.com

(China Daily 08/08/2012 page17)