China addresses foreign enterprises' IP concerns: official

BEIJING, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- China has taken proactive measures to address the intellectual property (IP) concerns and demands of enterprises, ensuring equal protection for both domestic and foreign innovators, a Chinese IP official said at a press conference on Friday.

Aligning with international rules, providing efficient dispute resolution and establishing regular communication channels are the key tasks China has focused on to assist foreign enterprises in the country, according to Guo Wen, an official with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), which is the country's top IP regulator.

Guo said that the Chinese government has joined almost all major international IP treaties and become a prominent user of the three primary registration systems for patents, trademarks and designs that are administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization.

She also noted the new round of revision to the country's trademark law and patent law, saying that China has implemented "strict punitive measures in accordance with the highest international standards."

China has also taken measures to crack down on malicious patent invalidation and malicious trademark filings, effectively resolving numerous IP disputes involving companies from countries such as the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Thailand and Denmark, Guo noted.

The CNIPA has built a regular communication mechanism, organizing numerous symposiums in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Guangdong to listen attentively to the demands of foreign enterprises and offer assistance in resolving their problems.

From January to October this year, China authorized 92,000 foreign invention patents, a year-on-year increase of 5.3 percent. The registration of foreign trademarks in China climbed to 121,000, up 13.1 percent compared to the previous year.

"These figures demonstrate the recognition foreign enterprises have given China's IP protection work," Guo said, emphasizing that China will continue its endeavors to "establish a business environment that is fairer, more transparent, and more predictable."