1 Heilongjiang

EU patent office briefs locals

Some 150 representatives of local companies, intellectual property administrations and patent agencies from across the province attended a recent seminar on the European patent system in the provincial capital Harbin.

Co-hosted by the State Intellectual Property Office and the European Patent Office, the meeting aims to promote an understanding of the European patent system and help local companies compete abroad.

European experts exchanged insights with participants and briefed them on the system as well as application procedures and how to find out patent information.

Sipo.gov.cn

2 Beijing

Major tech on fast track

The State Intellectual Property Office recently announced that a new regulation on the priority handling of patent applications for strategically important inventions will take effect on Aug 1.

The measure will enable filings for patents on "major inventions" to be processed within one year. It aims to develop green technologies and strategic emerging industries while promoting the commercialization of research results.

Beneficiaries include sectors such as environmental protection, energy conservation, information technology, advanced manufacturing, new materials, clean energy, and alternative-energy vehicles.

Science Times

Robots wow tech expo with ping pong

Two humanoid robots wowed attendees by playing table tennis together at a high-tech exhibition held from July 5 to 9 at the China National Convention Center.

One of them, 1.7 meters tall and weighing 65 kilograms, can dance, do shadow boxing and make various facial expressions. The other can play table tennis with human beings or another robot.

The two were developed by a research consortium headed by the Beijing Institute of Technology, and they signify the first step in China's efforts to commercialize humanoid robots, said Huang Qiang, a professor of robotic technology and systems at the university.

He said it will still be another 10 to 15 years before the robots will be fit to serve in homes or work in a dangerous environment.

Xinhua

3 Shandong

Two sentenced for fakes

Two suspects were recently handed sentences of up to three and a half years for the sale of counterfeit goods involving more than 233 million yuan ($36.5 million) in potential profit.

This is the largest intellectual property infringement case the province has seen since a nationwide campaign named "Drawing Sword" was initiated to fight counterfeits and piracy in November 2010.

Ningbo customs in Zhejiang province found more than 30,000 counterfeit bags, wallets and caps bearing well-known international trademarks in six shipments of export-intended goods from a Qingdao company in April 2010.

Prosecution officials in Qingdao's Sifang district brought legal action against the defendants surnamed Zhang and Zheng in November 2011.

Legaldaily.com.cn

4 Henan

19 brands recognized

Nineteen local brands have been granted the status of well-known trademarks in the first half of this year, bringing the province's total to more than 100, according to the provincial administration for industry and commerce.

Zhengzhou, capital of the central Chinese province, contributed 30 items, accounting for nearly 29 percent of the total.

Local authorities have released a series of favorable policies to reward companies with trademarks that have gained the honor. As a result, there has been a boom in trademark registration, with the total number surpassing 140,000.

Xinhua

5 Taiwan

More cross-Straits IP work to come

The Chinese mainland and the island have strong demand and enormous space for cooperation in the intellectual property service industry, a pillar of the IP system, said Tian Lipu, commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office and president of the China Intellectual Property Society, at a recent forum on cross-Straits patent agency cooperation in Taipei.

Patent agencies form a core part of IP service businesses, Tian said, noting that Taiwan's residents have been eligible for the national patent agent qualification exam since 2011.

The collaboration between the two sides is expected to facilitate innovation, patent protection and the commercialization of research results, he said.

Sipo.gov.cn

(China Daily 07/25/2012 page17)