Yantai sees rise in patent rights ownership

An inventor shows his official certificates of utility model patents. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Recent statistics from the municipal IP office showed that the number of valid patented inventions in the city increased from 2,259 in 2012 to 5,196 in July 2017, ranking third in the province. The data also showed that every 10,000 people in the city owned 7.41 invention patents by July 2017, which doubled over the past five years.

The achievements are attributable to the city's efforts in building itself into a national IP demonstration city, according to Meng Guoqing, head of the municipal IP office.

In June 2017, authorities approved the construction of the China (Yantai) IP Protection Center, which is the first of its kind in Shandong and the second in China.

The center greatly streamlined the process of patent application. Registration in the center will help shorten the duration of patent licensing of inventions from 22 months to 3-6 months. The center also helps improve the efficiency of IP rights protection by offering a special green passage to local companies or individuals whose property rights are infringed on.

In the past five years, Yantai has launched about more than 20 campaigns against 1,256 cases involving falsified patents and 122 patent disputes.

The city's endeavors have been recognized by the nation. In 2016, Yantai was designated as one of the pilot cities of the nation's patent insurance system. In 2017, the city was included in the nation's first batch of ten powerful IP development cities.

Those who own the IP rights of key technologies in the industrial chain will dominate profit distribution, according to Liu Liangzhou, professor at the Ludong University. The professor also said that local enterprises in Yantai are becoming aware of the fact that current business competitions ultimately rely on the support of IP.