Commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) Mr. Tian Lipu

The year 2006 claimed a notable and proud year. With the Scientific Concept of Development and strategic guidance of constructing a harmonious society and an innovative country, China's intellectual property (IP) has realized a good beginning for the Eleventh Five-Year Plan and embarked on a new stage.

Constant achievements in China's IP work were witnessed in 2006, resulting in historical improvements in the status and role of IP in various aspects of national work. In March, "The Outline of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development" was approved at the Fourth Session of the 10th National People's Congress, which aimed at forming a batch of internationally competitive enterprises with independent IPRs and famous brands as one of its important goals during this period. In May, Secretary General Hu Jintao delivered an important speech at the 31st collective learning of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of CPC. He stressed that it was a must to fully exert the important role of IP in enhancing China's economic, science and technology strength and international competitiveness, and safeguarding national interests and economic security in order to provide a strong support for China's transformation into an innovative country. At the 2nd Plenary Meeting of the Leading Group for the Formulation of National IP Strategy in September, Vice Premier Wu Yi pointed out that the Central Committee of CPC and the State Council had been attaching great importance to the formulation of national IP strategy, requiring consistent ideology and action of all aspects and sound work for the strategy establishment. In December, the Eleventh Five-Year Plan of IP Development was completed and submitted to the State Council for approval, marking that the first IP development plan in Chinese history being included into national special plan.

The year 2006 continued to witness an extensive growth of China's patent applications. Patent applications kept rapid growth, with the annual growth rate of 3 kinds of patent applications exceeded 20%, up to 573,000. On June 27, 2006, the total volume of patent applications surpassed 3 million. Between April 1, 1985, when the Patent Law were implemented, and January 11, 2000, it took the Office fourteen years and nine months to reach the fi rst one-million record in patent application; then in March 17, 2004, the applications exceeded the second one-million mark after four years and two months; and when in June 27, 2006, the third million patent application was received, only two years and three months had passed. This was twelve and a half years less than the fi rst one-million and nearly two years less than the second one. It indicated that China's innovation capacity for science and technology had been constantly enhanced, and at the same time its reforming and opening up had also been increasingly strengthened.

The year 2006 was also a fruitful year for IP work, represented by outstanding achievements. These include: major periodical achievements in national IP strategy formulation; submission of the revised draft of Patent Law to the State Council for review; satisfactory situation occurs with the publicity of IPRs; new progress gained in macro-administration of IPRs with improvements in both capabilities and levels; enhanced patent examination and granting ability under increasing patent applications; great advancement in informationization and information resource construction; and extensive international exchange and cooperation with active participation in international IPRs issues. In addition, new achievements have also been made in human resources development, talent cultivation and the strengthening of the integrity and discipline within the party organizations.

Although the achievements made in 2006 were encouraging, the impending new challenges will entrust greater responsibilities on us. On one hand, as China's economy, science, technology,trade and cultural development have put forward new and higher requirements on IP work, the effect and role of IP in creation, administration, protection, utilization and even national economic and social development have revealed gradually. This has created an unprecedented and sound development environment and timing for IP development. On the other hand, due to short history of China's IP system, there still exist many issues inconsistent with China's economic development despite its progressive achievements. In a global view, new orientations have emerged in the reform of international IP system and conflicts are getting sharper in the establishment of international IP rules. These lead to the result that international cooperation in IP becomes the popular trend and IP turns into an increasingly important tool for national economy and diplomatic strategy. In a conclusion, we are facing with both good opportunities and severe challenges, and it is a reasonable choice for China's IP development by seizing the opportunity and taking advantage of the favorable situation.

The year 2006 was fulfilled with diligent work and we should give our warmest applause to everyone who made contributions to the development of IP in China. With great pleasure on the development in 2006, we will give the best wishes to all the stakeholders devoting to China's IP work, including foreign IP organizations and personage providing assistance to its development. We firmly believe that in 2007, under the leadership of the Central Committee of CPC and the State Council, better work will be achieved in formulation and implementation of national IP strategy so as to promote sound and fast development of China's IP and to fully realize the support role of IP to an innovative country construction.

Tian Lipu