With the World Intellectual Property Day approaching, 25 central government departments announced a week-long nationwide campaign to increase public awareness.

The effort begins today and will continue through World IP Day on April 26, highlighting the important role of intellectual property in transformation of industries and the nation's overall economy, said Han Xiucheng, an official of the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO).

Activities to encourage respect for laws, regulations and intellectual property protection will be held, Han said.

82.4% of patents by locals

According to a recently released report by SIPO, China had more than 2.2 million valid patents at the end of last year, 82.4 percent of them filed by Chinese individuals, companies or institutions, a considerable rise from 75.5 percent in 2006.

Guangdong, Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang were the top five regions for invention patents.

Although the number of patents is growing fast, China still lags far behind advanced countries, the report noted.

"The report also offers guidance for Chinese companies to shift from the number of patents to their quality," said Li Shunde, an intellectual property rights expert at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

(Source: China Daily)