Distinguish WIPO Director General Francis Gurry,
Distinguish Deputy Mayor Hong Feng,
Ladies and Gentlemen:

Good Morning!

Today we are gathering here to celebrate the grand opening ceremony of the Fifth China Patent Week in Beijing. First, on behalf of SIPO and the organizing committee of this event, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to our guests who attended this ceremony and I also wish to express my heartfelt thanks to the central government agencies under the State Council, the local governments and other organizers for their generous support for this event.

The theme of this year's patent week is implementing patent strategy to promote innovation development. Today's world is undergoing major development, major transformation and major adjustment and China is now at a crucial period for transforming the pattern of economic development and building an innovative country, it is at just the right time implementing the patent strategy. The China's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) introduced the patent holdings of every 10,000 people into the comprehensive evaluation system of examining the national social and economic development and the main target is to increase from 1.7 patents for every 10,000 people in 2010 to 3.3 patents in 2015. This target is of great importance to improve China's IPR quality and will help enhance innovative capabilities significantly. Enhancing the overall ability to create, protect, utilize and administrative IPR creation is now the extremely important and urgent task during the progress of advancing China's social and economic development. The implementation of patent strategy means further integration of patent system and economic development, giving a full play of the patent system in enhancing China's core competitive power and providing strong support for building an innovative country.

During the Eleventh Five-Year Plan Period, China has made outstanding achievements in IPR works. The release of National Patent Strategy (2011―2020) marked a new milestone in the course of patent development, the third revision to the Patent Law was completed and this marked that China's patent law and policy system is increasing improved. During this period, patent applications see a remarkable increasing, of which 1.451 million invention patents applications, 1.289 million are utility model patent applications and 1.554 million are design patent applications, 2.6 times, 2.4 times and 3.1 times of those during the Tenth Five-Year Plan Period respectively. By the end of this period, the domestic valid invention patent applications hit a record of 256,000, 5 times over those during the previous five-year period. China has filed 36,000 patent applications via PCT, 4.3 times of those during the Tenth Five-Year Plan Period. As patent applications grow rapidly, the country's patent examination and grant ability witness significant improvement. Meanwhile, the ability of law enforcement mechanism building is further strengthened. Competence of patent works in the enterprises and public institutions is significantly improved, information dissemination and service ability is notably enhanced and professional personnel team is established. This year, China's patent applications continue to maintain rapid growth. And in the first ten months, applications of invention patent, the utility model patent and the design patents hit 1.238 million and 769,000 were granted, increased by 37.8% and 14.8% respectively. Numbers show that 394,000 inventions were filed and 139,000 were granted, increased by 33.7% and 23.8%. In the ten-month period, the domestic valid patents reached 332,000 and the PCT international patent applications achieved 13,429, up 34%. All these achievements have laid sound foundation for further development of China's patent works.

Right now, the 12th Five-Year Plan for Patent has been issued. The plan clearly defines the main objectives for China's patent development in the next five years that the number of annual authorization of invention patent for Chinese appliers will rank the world's top two, every 10,000 people to have 3.3 patents and overseas patent applications doubles. The plan puts forward eight major tasks and eight important projects in the next five-year period and comes up with overall acting points for China's patent works in the future, stricter requirements have been raised. We must seize the opportunity, guided by the National Patent Strategy (2011―2020) and strive our efforts to realize the objectives raised in the 12th Five-Year Plan and to create refulgence again.

Today, the Fifth China Patent Week is taking place in Beijing and branch fields nationwide. Beijing leaves grand and ardently, while it is also attractive throughout the branch fields. We are convinced that, with the support of central government agencies and local governments, and with the participation of patent practitioners, China Patent Week will certainly become a significant platform for serving innovation and the whole society.

I wish the event to be a great success. Thank you!

 

(China IP News)

2011-11-17

2011-11-17