China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Fast-tracking key patents a major help for tech businesses
Giving priority to processing high-quality patent filings in intellectual property applications not only helps improve efficiency, but contributes to building a sound business environment, officials and business representatives said.
To help high-tech companies with their patent filings, the Zhongguancun IP promotion bureau in Beijing has streamlined its online administrative procedure by selecting high-quality filings for prioritized processing.
Creating green channels helps applicants obtain patents for their innovations within a short time, said Shi Ying, head of the bureau.
“It is conducive to innovators’ expansion in the market and creating a friendly business environment,” Shi said. “Through the green channels, the period for obtaining patents has been shortened to within one year from two to three years.”
Qualified companies can gain a recommendation for such priority services in patent processing within two days, she added.
In the first half of 2020, the bureau said it recommended nearly 3,740 patent filings from 755 applicants in Beijing for the prioritized service to the National Intellectual Property Administration.
The patents involved more than 10 technological fields. They range from the new generation of information technology; healthcare; energy conservation and environmental protection; intelligent equipment services; software and information services. Of them, the patents from the new generation of information technology accounted for 57.4 percent.
Vision Vera, a network communication technology manufacturer, is one of the beneficiaries.
“In the intensely competitive technological arena, giving priority to patent examination has made us share the bonus of the modern IP management system,” said Fang Dong, IP director at Vision Vera. “In the past, we had to spend more than 30 months to obtain a patent, but now it has reduced to about 10 months.
“Patents are used to protect the market and the improved patent examination also enables us to protect our technologies via patent applications and be more active in responding to patent infringements.”
Liu Zhen, deputy general manager of the legal department at electronics manufacturer Xiaomi, said the company is paying great attention to the research and development of new technologies and IP protection.
In 2020, Xiaomi plans to invest more than 10 billion yuan ($1.45 billion) in its R&D, Liu said. “Our R&D and product strategies are focused more on the 5G and internet of things fields.”
Products and technologies in these fields are evolving fast and they have higher requirements for the efficiency of IP protection, he said.
In the past year, Xiaomi has applied for the green-channel service for nearly 60 patents, Liu said. He added that 90 percent of the company’s filings for invention patents have been granted within one year and industrial designs were granted patents within two months.
That helps innovators not only protect their IP, but also maintain their technological competitiveness on the global stage, according to Liu.
In the intensely competitive technological arena, giving priority to patent examination has made us share the bonus of the modern IP management system.” Fang Dong, IP director at Vision
Vera