1. Beijing
Big five in patents
A seminar was held last week for more than 30 patent examiners from Europe, Japan, South Korea, the United States and China's State Intellectual Property Office.
SIPO Commissioner Tian Lipu said the event enabled patent examiners from various countries to "enhance exchanges to improve service quality". He also called for higher examination efficiency.
The five regions represented at the annual seminar generate about 80 percent of the world's patent applications.
SIPO.GOV.CN
2. Shanghai
Home-developed electric car
The Roewe E50 home-developed electric car is set to hit the market in early November.
Developed by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, the car uses advanced energy saving and safety technologies, and costs only 8 yuan ($1.3) per 100 kilometers to operate. It can run up to 180 km on a full charge.
An ordinary charge of the battery takes six hours using household 220-volt power. In quick mode, it can be 80 percent completed in 30 minutes.
XINHUANET.COM
3. Jiangsu
Trademark association formed
More than 60 large companies jointly founded a local trademark protection association on Oct 28 in the capital city Nanjing.
Jiangsu has a group of famous brands, but many have not been registered with customs by their owners due to a lack of awareness. Some have suffered from malicious trademark registration by others, according to organizers.
The group aims to help owners deal with international trademark disputes while sharing information and lowering the cost of protection.
LEGAL DAILY
4. Hubei
Pirated books seized
More than 100,000 pirated books worth at least 10 million yuan were seized from a large operation in Huangshi city following an investigation that began last summer.
Among the unauthorized books, copyright authorities found the latest edition Modern Chinese Dictionaries unveiled in June.
With information from Beijing's Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, Huangshi police began investigating the case on June 11 and launched operations in late August in Beijing and the provinces of Hubei and Henan, raiding 10 locales and arresting nine suspects.
XINHUANET.COM
5. Guangdong
IP assistance at fair
A highlight of the China High-Tech Fair on Nov 16 in Shenzhen will be assistance by an intellectual property service group, said organizers.
The group has 20 Chinese patent service agencies that will provide consultation and patent services on investment, financing, assessment and insurance.
WWW.S1979.COM
6. Zhejiang
Inventions by fisherman
After selling his boat in 2002, a fisherman in Wenling turned his attention to creating inventions, with latest patented product, a machine to clean refuse from lawns and green belt areas.
Now with four patents, he has created inventions that include a heated lifejacket and an insulated blanket for covering iced seafood, all of which have been commercialized.
ZHEJIANG NEWS
(China Daily 10/31/2012 page5)
