In the first half of 2007, the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) of China received a total of 268,926 patent applications, up 7.3% from 250,703 of the same period last year.  Geographical breakdown is: domestic, 216,473, up 7.7% from 201,035, 80.5% of the total; foreign, 52,453, up 5.6% from 49,668, 19.5%.

Specifics by category are: shares of invention, utility model and design, 38.8%, 27.8% and 33.4%; invention, 104,341, up 6.9%; utility model, 74,733, down 1.4%; design, 89,582, up 16.3%.

SIPO granted 167,750 patents, up 40.5% year on year.