The seminar on Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), jointly sponsored by State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), was opened in Hangzhou on 28 March. He Hua, Deputy Commissioner of SIPO, Chen Zhijun, Director of Zhejiang Provincial Adminstration and Zhao Likang, deputy Secretary General of Hangzhou Municipal Government were present at the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. More than 200 representatives from WIPO, SIPO, patent agencies in Eastern China, companies, institutions of higher education and IPR administrative institutions participated in the seminar.

 

PCT, sighed on 19 June 1970, is an important international treaty for IPR since the Paris Convention signed in 1883 and is regarded as a significant symbol of progress in international cooperation in this filed. The number of applications and ownership of PCT is an important indicator of the innovation capability and competitiveness of a country or region. The number of PCT applications, to some extent, can reveal the quality of the economy of a country or region and its international competitive edge.

 

He Hua, Deputy Commissioner of SIPO, Present at the Opening Ceremony

 

He Hua, Deputy Commissioner of SIPO pointed out in his speech that PCT system, being a mature international system after 30-year development, is an effective tool Chinese companies can use when participate in international competition and it should not be neglected. Being a developing country in an ever globalizing world, China is facing important issues, including how to use this international mechanism to help domestic companies, especially the large number of small and medium sized enterprises, develop in the international market and how to effectively maintain the economic boom. Therefore, it is very important to let the public, especially the working staff in the IPR sector, get familiar with PCT system and use the system proficiently. It is a very effective way to jointly organize a seminar with WIPO for the publicity, popularization and dissemination of PCT system to the public.

 

 

Chen Zhiijun, Director of Zhejiang Provincial Adminstration, Present at the Opening Ceremony with Speech

 

Chen Zhijun, Director of Zhejiang Provincial Adminstration, said that Zhejiang, being one the advanced provinces along the south eastern coast of China, has seen a rapid IPR development in recent years. However, it should be realized that the number of patent applied through the PCT system overseas is only 115, which does not match the economic, technological and social development of Zhejiang. The Zhejiang Province has adopted related measures, while maintaining the quantity of patents, especially patents of invention, applied in China, to encourage companies to apply for patent through PCT system to raise their competitiveness while facing international competition. Today, SIPO and WIPO co-sponsored the PCT seminar, which gave the opportunity to the companies in Zhejiang to get to know PCT system, to the patent agents to learn PCT system and to applicants for further serdeputys.

 

The seminar lasted for two days. Experts from WIPO and SIPO briefly introduced PCT, and explained its application procedures, the development of the system and the PCT global strategies. At the same time the experts gave onsite guidance to the companies with regard to PCT application based on the actual demand of the companies and applicants.

 

2007-04-03

2007-04-03