Nation shows growth in IP filings

China's intellectual property development has witnessed remarkable growth and won international acclaim in recent years, said a senior official in the IP sector.

Shen Changyu, commissioner of National Intellectual Property Administration, China's IP watchdog, said the nation's IP industry is becoming a major IP filer and powerhouse worldwide thanks to the effective measures that have been taken in the protection and utilization of IP rights.

Shen made the remarks at the opening ceremony for the 10th China Intellectual Property Annual Conference, which opened in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province on Sept 2.

"China has surged to 14th place on the list of the Global Innovation Index 2019 released by World Intellectual Property Organization in July, 21 places higher than the year of 2013, thus becoming a leader among the world's mid-income economies," Shen said.

The Global Innovation Index is a globally recognized report that ranks 129 economies based on over 80 indicators, ranging from IP filing rates to mobile-application creation.

So far, over 798,000 patents have been filed by foreign applicants in China, with an annual growth of 3.9 percent year-on-year. Over 1.08 million trademarks have been filed in China, rising an average 10.5 percent year-on-year.

"All this demonstrates that China's IP undertakings have witnessed tremendous growth, winning universal acknowledgment worldwide," he said.