China this year topped the 1 million mark in trademark applications, officials said at a news conference hosted by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) on Sept. 1

The 1 million applications filed represent a 153 percent year-on-year increase.

China now ranks No 1 in numbers of applications, applications examined and living registered trademarks.

Li Jianchang, director general of the SAIC Trademark Office, said his office will implement the outline for the national IP strategy, particularly as it applies to trademarks.

In 2008, China completed examinations of 750,000 trademark applications. By comparison, the number of completed examinations in 2008 was 400,000 for the United States, 119,000 for Japan and 80,000 for the European Union.

(Source: China Daily)