1. Beijing

Tech auction planned

More than 300 patents will be auctioned in October at the China Technology Exchange, some of which will have a starting bid of zero. All the patents are in the field of consumer electronics and have good prospects for commercial applications, said Li Zhonghua, the exchange's chief executive assistant. They include remote electric outlets, smart gloves for traffic conductors, and energy efficient televisions. Patent owners are mostly Chinese electronic giants such as Huawei and TCL, as well as universities and research institutions.

Beijing Evening News

2. Shandong

Police nab fake trademarks

Police and officials from the administration of industry and commerce in Zibo city recently raided a garage housing a facility for manufacturing counterfeit trademarks. On the scene they found 11 molds for Samsung trademark as well as more than 8,500 other fake labels, ranging from electronic appliances to musical instrument, cooking oil and pesticides. The operators of the facility said they provided the fake trademarks to nearby factories.

Zbnews.net

3. Jiangsu

Jiangsu tops in patents again

For three consecutive years, Jiangsu has ranked first nationwide in number of total patent applications and authorizations, corporate patent applications and authorizations, and invention patent applications. More than 3,000 patents have been commercialized in the province in the past five years, which has driven local social and economic development, according to the provincial intellectual property conference held in March 7.

Xinhua Daily

4. Gansu

Pirated books seized

In what was Lanzhou city's largest raid on distributors of pirated reference books this year, local enforcement officials recently seized 20,000 books published in violation of copyright laws. Among them were also magazines, novels and poetry anthologies. The books were estimated to have a total retail value of 300,000 yuan ($48,270). An officer said the buyers of the books were mostly street vendors and small bookshops in the suburban areas, but he added that they were printed outside the city.

Lanzhou evening news

5. Fujian

Cross-Straits IP partnership expands

People from Taiwan will be allowed to work as patent agents on the mainland this year, said Tian Lipu, commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office. Fujian was selected to be the first pilot province because of its proximity to the island. Last year, 34 people from Taiwan acquired patent agent licenses in Fujian, which is double the number in 2011. Patent agents from Taiwan will bring about advanced patent management strategies and more convenient services to Taiwan-funded companies, said local IP officials.

chinanews.com

6. Hong Kong

HK moves to guard brands

Local police recently established an international brand protection and anti-counterfeiting committee, the first of its kind in the area. The organization will offer IP protection to foreign companies engaged in such industries as luxuries, medicines, food, cosmetics and consumer electronics in China. It will also help enforcement agencies on the Chinese mainland collect intelligence and fight IP violations against international brands.

CNR.CN

(China Daily 03/13/2013 page17)