Over the past two months, the Customs and Excise Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has conducted an operation to combat the use of pirated software in business. 12 people, including 11 directors and 1 employee, were arrested in the operation. Seven companies were searched by legal authorities. 35 computers were seized for possessing illegally installed pirated software, including operating systems software, office applications software and design software. The total value of the operation amounted to 130,000 yuan and the companies concerned were engaged in the design, publication and advertising business.

Service inventor remuneration regulation opens for public comment

On November 12nd, SIPO released a draft of the proposed Service Invention Remuneration of Regulations (Regulations). The draft consists of 46 articles in 7 chapters. The contents include the legislative aim, the supervision and regulation departments and its responsibility, the applicable scope of the Regulations, the definition of what parties qualify as inventors as well as detailed provisions concerning the ownership of the rights to an invention. The service invention system is a basic system for adjusting the ownership of the rights and profit distribution, which is closely related to innovation enthusiasm of inventors and enterprises, and constitutes an important part of the country’s innovation policy as well.

The 4th Annual Pharma and Biotech Patent Conference 2012 concluded in Beijing

The 4th Annual Pharma and Biotech Patent Conference 2012 concluded successfully in Beijing. Delegates of the legal departments as well as pharmaceutical and biotech companies from China, America, Brazil, Malaysia , Singapore and Vietnam gathered together to discuss the latest trends and issues in the field of pharmaceutical and biotech intellectual property. Conference speakers stated that while facing IP challenges and opportunities, pharmaceutical and biotech companies should respond actively, participants should optimize the management of patent portfolios, maximize the patent value during M&A and adopt proper patent management strategies.

China will host AIPPI World Intellectual Property Congress for the first time

The 43rd World Intellectual Property Congress of an international French IP association called the "Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle" (AIPPI) concluded in Seoul in October with exciting news: China will host the 47th World Intellectual Property Congress in Hangzhou in 2020 for the first time. The congress is held every other year with wide participation by governments, companies, IP agencies and research institutions. Successfully hosting the conference will promote the development of China’s IP industry and the IP status of China on the international stage.

SIPO promotes electronic patent application

Customs authority combats pirated software

In February, the State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China (SIPO) published a supplementary notice on the intensive promotion of electronic patent application, which adjusted and specified the goals for 2012. The current goals are that: the electronic patent application rate of the year should reach 80%, monthly patent electronic application rates should be no less than 78%, and the electronic patent application rates of the year of patent agencies should reach 95%. SIPO authorities stated that after the publication of the supplementary notice, SIPO has implemented a variety of policy measures to create a social atmosphere beneficiary to the promotion of electronic patent application.

China’s quality authorities fight against fake products

China’s quality authorities continue to combat against infringements of intellectual property rights as well as the production and sales of fake products. In the first three quarters of 2012, they handled 54,200 cases, the value of the products involved amounted to 3.14 billion yuan (498.41 million U.S. dollars), and 731 cases were transferred to public security organs. Moreover, more than 4.3 million batches of exports valued at 278.33 billion U.S. dollars were seized; among which, 9,047 batches of goods estimated to be worth 2.62 billion U.S. dollars were found to be substandard. It is said that the administration in charge of enforcement is determined to strengthen the fight against counterfeit products. It would particularly step up its monitoring of children’s products, food products, agricultural and construction materials.

China’s patent application jumps 20% in 2012

In the first three quarters of 2012, SIPO had received 423,000 patent applications for inventions, an increase of 22.3% from last year. Tian Lipu, Commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office, stated at a press conference on the sidelines of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that China, had received 526,000 patent applications by 2011, accounting for a quarter of the world’s applications. In 2001, the number was merely 40,000, representing a twentieth of the global total. Tian said that, "even though the growth rate this year is a bit lower than last year, the overall quality of the patents has been improved."