More than 13,000 candidates took the national patent agent qualification exam held in 18 cities on Nov 5 and 6, a record high and an increase of nearly 15 percent over last year.

Some 189 Taiwan residents were also allowed to take the exam in Fuzhou, Fujian province, a first in the history of the exam.

After passing the test, successful candidates including those from Taiwan must intern for a year in agencies authorized by mainland authorities. They can then apply for agent licenses and practice on the mainland, according to the State Intellectual Property Office.

The total number of patent agents is projected to rise to from the current 7,066 to around 10,000 by 2015.

(Source: China Daily)