by Xinhua author Yuan Quan
BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) — This 12 months’s National Intellectual Property (IP) Publicity Week was full of boards, press conferences and full of life public actions, however what struck me most was a nook of an IP exhibition corridor.
A show board launched the patent histories of various nations. Switzerland’s first patent, granted in 1888, was for a clockwork motion. Next to it was China’s first patent, a coloration show gadget designed to assist analyze satellite tv for pc photos, accredited in 1985 — practically a century later.
The docent mentioned the applicant at the moment had queued in a single day exterior China’s patent workplace to submit his utility, drawing murmurs of amazement from many guests round me.
But what actually drew “oohs” and “aahs” have been the homegrown cutting-edge patented innovations on show: a Mars rover mannequin, an AI-assisted on the spot translation machine, a digital contact display screen, anti-cancer medicine, and extra.
Although China began later than many developed nations, its patent system now units its sights firmly on the world’s most cutting-edge improvements.
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, the worldwide innovation panorama is shifting to the Asia-Pacific, and China is a core driving power behind this variation. The nation holds about 60 p.c of the world’s AI patents, roughly two-thirds of robotics-related patents, and it has led the world in inexperienced and low-carbon expertise patent purposes for a few years working.
These IP accomplishments replicate the nation’s nationwide priorities. China’s newest five-year plan (2026-2030) explicitly states it’s going to nurture rising and future industries, corresponding to next-generation info expertise, AI and biomedicine, to foster new development engines. Moreover, “improving IP protection in emerging fields” has been written into the federal government work report.
China’s dedication to IP is, at coronary heart, a dedication to innovation itself. In 1992, IP negotiations between China and the United States dominated headlines, because the nation got here beneath intense stress over the battle in opposition to infringement and counterfeiting. But it was additionally a interval when public consciousness of mental property was simply starting to take form in China. Seminars, shows and coaching packages on IP have been organized throughout the nation to construct understanding and consciousness.
In 2008, China amended its Patent Law to incorporate “enhancing innovation capability” as a authorized goal. It marked a transparent shift from merely following worldwide requirements to independently enhancing its personal methods. The revision added provisions primarily focused at low patent high quality, low infringement prices and patent rights abuse.
Enterprises, as key drivers of innovation, have additionally undergone a change. Gone are the times when Chinese firms relied solely on value competitiveness; right this moment, they’re successful over world shoppers with superior applied sciences and forward-looking designs.
About 12 years in the past, a home smartphone model famend for its excessive performance-to-price ratio made headlines attributable to its patent disputes with a overseas model. Today, it has grown to a expertise firm holding tens of 1000’s of patents, with its sensible merchandise not too long ago incomes reward from visiting overseas leaders.
BrainCo, a brain-machine interface firm and considered one of Hangzhou’s cutting-edge “Six Little Dragons” tech companies, mentioned its development has benefited from IP safety. At a current IP discussion board in Beijing, BrainCo referred to as for all enterprises to take a long-term view, make investments extra in authentic R&D, and double down on high-value patents.
There are additionally modifications in official knowledge launched by Chinese IP authorities, that are not solely targeted on patent volumes or rankings. The present key phrases are high quality and effectivity, such because the possession of high-value patents and IP’s contribution to GDP. They are true indicators of innovation.
China’s open method extends to its IP panorama as nicely. By making certain honest remedy for each home and overseas enterprises and actively partaking in worldwide IP governance, it has gained recognition from world IP our bodies and enterprises. At the discussion board, Qualcomm mentioned that China’s steady push to reinforce the IP enterprise surroundings has additional motivated the U.S. chipmaker to deepen its cooperation with Chinese industries.
A world imaginative and prescient requires a clear-eyed understanding of the place others excel.
Ma Yide, a professor on the School of IP on the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, informed me that regardless of China’s lead when it comes to amount, gaps stay and there may be nonetheless a lot to study from others together with the United States in fundamental analysis patenting and college tech switch, the EU in IP knowledge governance and AI laws, Japan in IP-backed finance, and the Republic of Korea in IP expertise coaching.
Just as in world AI governance, China goals to construct a fairer, extra balanced worldwide IP system by means of mutual studying, Ma mentioned.
April 26 marked World IP Day. Over the previous week, quite a few sectors throughout China have marked the event, together with my colleagues and me, who’ve been masking IP for years.
The evolution of IP in China mirrors the nation’s broader story of innovation: a late begin, adopted by decided efforts to shut the hole, intensify studying and maintain that progress. That, I imagine, is the perfect China IP story.