'Why we can trust the Chinese': By Inventor Trevor Bayliss

A court in Beijing today fined two Chinese manufacturers for infringing the patent on a British company's kettle design.

The ruling was welcomed by Trevor Bayliss, who thanked the Chinese judicial system for standing up for British inventors.

Mr Baylis who is best known for inventing the wind-up radio, this week wrote to Madam Fu Ying, the Chinese ambassador to the UK, to thank the country for the court's decision.

The 72-year-old, who champions the rights of inventors, said patenting ideas can be costly and it is important that those patents are respected.

His letter to Fu Ying follows the case involving Isle of Man-based Strix Ltd, which manufactures electric kettle controls, who took legal action against two Chinese manufacturers for patent infringements.

Strix said a court in Beijing ruled in December that its patent was valid.

The court fined Zhejiang Jiatai Electrical Appliance Manufacture Co Ltd and Leqing FaDa Electrical Appliance Co Ltd and ordered both companies to stop producing the kettle controls.

Strix said two kettle manufacturers, Zhongshan WeiLing Electrical Appliance Co Ltd and Zhongshan Shunlong Century Electrical Appliance Co Ltd, were also ordered to stop the production and sale of two models containing those controls.

The Chinese court's decision to back the British firm rather than its own businesses was a positive sign for future relations, Bayliss said.

'It means that we can trust the Chinese,' he said.

'I want to make sure that the UK economy doesn't suffer as a result of people stealing ideas and that the lone inventor, he or she, can have their day in court and be treated with respect.'

Mr Baylis's letter to Madam Fu Ying expressed his "thanks and gratitude for the Beijing court' recent award of 9.1 Million RMB (about ￡800,000) in damages in favour of Isle of Man-based Strix Ltd".

It added: 'Effective enforcement of intellectual property rights in China is a key concern of the many small UK businesses and there is a widespread belief that enforcing intellectual property rights in China is a challenge for foreign companies.

'This decision demonstrates that this is not so and it will be welcomed by small businesses in the UK who wish to operate within your country.'

Mr Baylis added that it was "a very important ruling and other countries would do well in following China's lead" in recognising and enforcing intellectual property rights.

He told the ambassador: 'I would like to thank you for standing alongside those ordinary people who have the ability to change all our lives both socially and commercially.'

Paul Hussey, CEO of Strix Ltd, said the case highlighted the importance the Chinese judiciary placed on protecting the intellectual property rights of companies no matter where they are based.

'Higher standards of intellectual property protection will encourage new innovation and support China's bid to further enhance its position as a global design centre, not just a manufacturing hub,' he said.

'It is equally important for other countries to respect the intellectual property rights of Chinese companies so that Chinese innovators are also protected when their technologies are exported and introduced in other parts of the world.'