Introduction of Poverty Alleviation
Updated: 1 20,2021

The fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee pointed out that we have made decisive achievements in the final stage of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and our achievement in poverty alleviation attracts worldwide attention. In the battle against poverty, the National Intellectual Property Administration studied and implemented the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping about the work of poverty alleviation thoroughly, carried out the policies and arrangements made by the Central Committee of CPC and State Council conscientiously, and gave full play to the unique advantage of intellectual property in targeted poverty alleviation. It has explored an effective route to integrate intellectual property, poverty alleviation and rural vitalization for common development through benefiting the farmers by the patented technology, trademarked brands and geographical indication.

First, our administration empowers the farmers with patented technologies by giving play to its advantage in information. First of all, we attach importance to the building of the public service system of intellectual property information. CNIPA sets up a public service website for intellectual property, which has optimized intellectual property information service tools like the search and analytical system of patent documents to facilitate those in the poverty-stricken areas to obtain information on intellectual property and utilize information. Secondly, our administration gives play to the function of public service organizations of intellectual property information. We offer intellectual property information service to boost the regional economic development through 51 Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISC) in China jointly built with WIPO. Among them, TISCs in regions like Shaanxi and Xinjiang solved technological problems concerning the planting and processing of agricultural products for the local poverty-stricken areas, helping them realize industrial upgrading. At the same time, we provide special support to the central and western regions by offering patent information. Based on such projects as the "patent information for targeted poverty alleviation", we offer patent information service in regions like Shanxi and Ningxia around the fields like the planting and processing of agricultural products and ecological environment. Our work solved their thorny problems, so promoting the development of local economy.

Second, our administration gives play to the advantage of the system to make the trademarks and brands benefit the farmers. According to the characteristics of agriculture, we guide localities to launch the work of "fostering a brand, boosting an industry and benefiting the local residents" by combining the intellectual property work in fostering the trademarks of geographical indications and certification of the products with geographical indication comprehensively. Our efforts have produced positive effect.

In terms of review and protection, we set up a "green channel" for the certification of products with geographical indications and the review for the registration application of the trademarks with geographical indications and collective trademarks in order to optimize the procedure of review and improve the efficiency of review. We made great efforts to advance the construction of demonstration areas for protecting the products with geographical indications, laying a solid foundation for the work of benefiting the farmers with trademarks and geographical indications. As of the end of October in this year, we approved a total number of 2,385 products with geographical indications under protection, registered a total number of 5,935 trademarks with geographical indications, approved 9,224 enterprises using special-purpose indications based on examination, and constructed 24 demonstration areas for protecting the products with geographical indications, covering all the key counties, 14 contiguous destitute areas and "three prefectures and three autonomous prefectures" in the national strategy of poverty alleviation through development.

In terms of popularization and application, our administration launched a total number of 21 promotion projects for applying national geographical indications in the contiguous destitute areas and Tibetan areas of four provinces since 2019. Up to now, the total direct investments in guidance were over RMB 10 million yuan, covering 43 national-level poverty-stricken counties in 17 provinces in the central and western regions, involving 32 geographical indications including Datong Huanghua. The supporting facilities provided by local governments were worth over RMB 120 million yuan, and the value of output of industries involving geographical indications was over RMB 21 billion yuan, including RMB 4 billion yuan related to the product processing, commercial logistics and tourism. This has effectively triggered the internal driving force of poverty-stricken households for development and mobilized over 600,000 people in poverty in these industries.

Third, our administration helped the counties in pairing assistance shake off poverty by giving play to the industrial advantage. Sangzhi County of Hunan and Chongli County of Hebei were two counties our administration was required to support in 1994 and 2007 respectively. Over the years, we would send cadres to these two counties to take temporary positions for poverty alleviation. From the road construction and bridge building and provision of materials for building schools at the very beginning to the assistance of intelligence through protection and usage of intellectual property, we pushed forward the industrial development and explored new methods of poverty alleviation through intellectual property. The two counties grew and boosted local industries through the protection and application of geographical indications like "White Tea of Sangzhi" and "Broad Bean of Chongli", and formed a production and marketing mode of "cooperative + brand + industry+ poverty-stricken households". They increased the income of poverty-stricken households and have created an enduring mechanism of poverty alleviation in the way of independent development.

At present, Chongli County and Sangzhi County shook off poverty in 2018 and 2019 respectively, and both of them were removed from the list of nationwide poverty-stricken counties. Sangzhi County has proposed the goal of creating a "global sample" for targeted poverty alleviation through intellectual property. Chongli County has strengthened the protection of intellectual property related to Winter Olympic Games in an all-round way while lifting itself from poverty with intellectual property. It pays attention to and makes effort in the two aspects, and it will realize the goal of a moderately prosperous society more quickly and in a better way depending on Winter Olympic Games.

The exploration and practice of promoting poverty alleviation through intellectual property over the years give us personal experiences. Intellectual property not only plays a role in the industrial circle, big cities and industrial brands, but also creates characteristic brands in the poverty-stricken and rural areas of our country. It can boost the industries and promote their market competitiveness, thus becoming a "gold key" to shaking off poverty and setting out on the road to prosperity.