The victory by Chinese high-tech company Aigo Digital Technology Co Ltd in a lawsuit against international electronics giant Toshiba over its USB Plus patent changed the attitude of a number of foreign companies, according to Aigo's intellectual property supervisor Huang Jing.

Before the case, many overseas electronics makers ignored Aigo's patent, said Huang.

"The logic was like this: I have occupied your house, but you can't sue me, and whether I stay or leave, it's none of your business," he said. "They just don't realize it's actually your house."

"Many foreign companies have a strong stereotype of China - linking it only with piracy and commercial espionage," said Li Dong, Aigo's chief engineer and solution center manager.

But the trial got the attention of Aigo's foreign rivals.

"In the past, we had to go to them with a proposition," Huang said. "But now they send high-ranking executives to us to talk about cooperation and licensing."

Last month, a Xi'an court in Shaanxi province ruled that Toshiba had illegally used the USB Plus technology developed by Aigo and levied 200,000 yuan ($31,360) in compensation to the Chinese company. The court also banned the sale in China of two types of Toshiba computers using the technology.

Aigo also sued HP over the technology at the same time, but the case was delayed because an HP retailer, as a co-defendant, "disappeared". Huang claimed it was "HP's scheme to win some time".

The USB Plus technology is up to six times faster than in commonly used USB 2.0 devices. It can be used for portable hard drives, flash memory and computers.

The USB Plus has become a de facto standard with more than 100 million laptops and 10 million desktop computers in the world using the technology, according to Li.

"We are proud to see that such a widely accepted standard was developed by a Chinese company," he said.

"Suing other companies is not our purpose," Huang said. "The USB Plus technology is a good thing for consumers, and we'd like to promote it to a wider public. But when computer makers use the technology, they must show some respect to our intellectual property rights."

The two Aigo executives also called for more confidence from Chinese people in home-developed products and technologies.

Li said because most international brands have transferred their manufacturing sector to China, Chinese professionals have had more access to front-line R&D, and only long time in such work can help generate innovative ideas that lead to patents.

"Chinese people never lack good ideas," Li said. "But without a proper patent application, encouragement and protection system, an idea is nothing."

(Source: China Daily)