To Greet the Spring of IP Cause

 

New Year represents a new beginning, everything begin its rebirth and refreshment. At the beginning of 2008, I would like to present my greeting and sincere gratitude on behalf of SIPO to all serving in IP field, to those having devoted to the development of China's IP cause, and to all international friends having concerned and supported China's IP work.

 

The year of 2007 is the most important part of China's IP history. Mr. Hu Jintao, the Secretary-General of Communist Party of China (CPC), pointed out in his work report to the Seventeenth CPC National Congress that China will carry out the National IP Strategy; Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao noted in his work report to the National People's Congress that China will push ahead formulation and implementation of the National IP Strategy and take effective measures to enforce IPR protection, and the CPC Central Committee Economic Working Conference held recently stressed to exert great efforts in implementing National IP Strategy. These instructions have speeded up the progress of the National IP Strategy from formulation to implementation, symbolizing a new historical period of China's IP work.

 

Under the Scientific Outlook of Development and the demand of building an innovative country, IP work in China has been promoted to a new historically high position, and recognized more and more by various circles of the Chinese society. Many of Chinese companies in different industries have adopted measures in creating, applying, protecting and managing their IPRs, made out their own IP development strategies, and obtained more and more IP resources. Now, Chinese enterprises have enjoyed stronger independent innovation capacity, a new highlight of China IP work in 2007.

 

The year of 2007 is also a rapidly progressive year for China's IP work. In the year China has accepted more than 4 million patent applications, taking merely one year and six months from the third million to the fourth. Trademark registration in China has also jumped to 3 million in the year, while copyright as well as new plant variety and other IP fields have made dramatic achievement. IP work in China enjoyed not only a rapid development in the year, but also a better result. From the domestic patent composition, for example, invention patent application increased faster than the growth rate of the general patent application, and on-duty application has steadily grown up. These all indicated the dramatic progress of China's public IP consciousness and independent innovation capacity, meaning the patent system has played an increasingly positive role in stimulating innovation and technological progress.

 

The year of 2007 is a rapid and deep involvement process of IP to China's economic and social development. IP Culture Year yielded substantial results, as the culture's ideas of "Respect IP, Highlight Innovation, Keep on faithfulness and Abide by Law" have been widely recognized by the public. The third amendment of Patent Law has been successfully accomplished and handed to the State Council for review after widely hearing suggestions, Micro-management of IP made further advance, more model IP cities have come out, IP agent system is being established, and IP pledge for loan mechanism is being completed. In addition, IP information resource construction and information dissemination in 2007 also saw a new development, IPR protection actions, administrative protection measures and law enforcement, as well as international exchange and participation to international IP affairs have all been enforced.

 

2008 will see the full implementation of the National IP Strategy. In 2008 China will have the 30th anniversary of its opening and reform program, the 2008 Olympics as well as some other historical events. SIPO will take the opportunity of implementing the National IP Strategy to well accomplish its duty. However, to do well with publicizing IP knowledge, developing IP culture and enhancing IP capacity are the key aspects to fully carry out the strategy. We will insist on Quality First principle and Scientific Outlook of Development, and further upgrade our IP creative capacity in 2008.

 

We will enhance our IP application and protection capacities, improve IP management and publicizing work, and will cultivate and develop IP culture.

 

IP staff training and professional level of our team will be another key aspect of our work in 2008, and SIPO will try to provide a comprehensive service to IP creation, application, protection and management.

 

At the beginning of 2008, we fell quite confident with the future as a vigorous, progressive, coordinated and balanced development of IP cause in China is being established. We will value the opportunity and tackle any new challenges to contribute to the building an innovative country and a well-being society. We will create a more glorious future of China's IP work by working hard and unifying the intelligence of all serving in IP field.

 

 

 

Tian Lipu
Commissioner of SIPO

2008-01-03

2008-01-03