News from the Patent Office of China

Taiwan: First Reciprocal Cross-Straits Copyright Agreement Inked
Writers on the Chinese mainland are expected to collect royalties from Taiwan this year, according to an agreement between the China Written Works Copyright Society and China Audio-Video Copyright Association in Taiwan.
From 2011, the Taiwan organization is authorized to collect royalties from higher learning institutes and copy shops for copying books by mainland writers and file suit against those that do not pay.
It is the first reciprocal cross-Straits copyright agreement.

2011-01-10


Guangdong: Sixth Grader Has 15 Patents, Named to Science Academy
With 15 patented inventions, sixth-grade student Zhuang Yeyang from Shenzhen has been elected a member of the Junior Academy of Sciences.
The juvenile academic's school was also named as a model base for popularizing science.
The academy was founded in 1999 as a nonprofit organization to promote science and technology among teenagers. Thirteen young tech experts received the honor the first year.

2011-01-10


Guangxi: Nanning Authorities Roll up Printer Cartridge Operation
Nanning authorities recently seized equipment and more than 30,000 fake packages to make as counterfeited branded printer cartridges.
The site where packaging materials were made was in the business of printing sales literature and financial documents, according to its business license.
Yet during a recent raid in Guangdong province, packaging for fake Canon printers were found to have been made at the operation in Nanning.

2011-01-10


Chongqing: Fake Yamaha Parts Seized, 10 Suspects Arrested
Fake Yamaha motorcycle components worth more than 2 million yuan ($300,000) were seized at a market in Shapingba district recently and 10 suspects arrested for sale of counterfeits.
The sellers brought in fake parts from varied locations and then pasted on the Yamaha logo for resale.
A true Yamaha muffler is priced at around 300 yuan, yet a fake costs only 60 yuan wholesale.
One of the arrested suspects alone might earn nearly 2 million yuan annually, according to local police.
Not only illegal, the fake parts are also dangerous, said Guo Kunsheng, a local police officer.
"The infringement does damage not only to legal interests, but is also likely to result in road accidents due to inferior quality," Guo said.
The case is now under further investigation.

2011-01-10


Reshuffling China's Online Video-sharing Industry Amid Copyright Protection
Just about two months ago, with a few clicks of the mouse, Chen Ying was able to watch her favorite American TV series, The Vampire Diaries or Gossip Girl, online for free.
Like Chen, an employee of a foreign-invested company in Shanghai, many U.S. TV series fans in China have little choice but to watch video clips online because domestic cable channels do not broadcast copyrighted ones. Some even volunteer to upload clips onto video-sharing websites without any charges.
But now Chen can rarely find such unauthorized online videos of foreign TV series.
In November 2010, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) announced a ban on any forms of trading and supplying unauthorized foreign TV series.
Along with the ban, the Ministry of Culture launched a six-month nationwide crackdown on counterfeiting in October to halt the theft of intellectual property rights (IPRS) and promote public awareness in IPRS protection.
In response, China's major video-hosting websites, including Youku.com, Tudou.com and Ku6.com, removed unauthorized foreign TV series videos.
A podcastor, using an online name "Xueselaoxie" on the Nasdaq-listed Youku.com, said some 7,000 unauthorized videos of American TV series he had uploaded were deleted by the website in one night.
To fans of foreign TV series, the ban might be a nightmare. But to the country, it was an important step in fighting IPRS infringement, said Li Yongqiang, assistant to CEO of Beijing Baofeng Inc., a provider of online video-hosting service.
Similar regulations were issued earlier. But never had they received as many reactions as did this one, Li said.
"I checked some portals after the ban became effective. Some websites removed all the unauthorized videos of American TV series in just one night," Li said.
"I believe the entire online video-sharing industry had realized the importance of a healthy development environment, and people's awareness of IPRS will be raised," Li said.
Following the order from the central government, many provinces beefed up their efforts in cracking down on online IPRS infringement.
In northeast China's Jilin Province, the provincial copyright administration shut down two websites, o2sky.com and imdj.net, after they were found illegally providing unauthorized videos of South Korean movies.
The ban has resulted in a reshuffle of online video-sharing industry in China, with major domestic websites gearing up to offer copyrighted imports of TV series and films.
Sohu TV offered many copyrighted online videos of American TV series, including Gossip Girl, the Big Bang Theory and Nikita, after signing agreements with Warner Bros..
Youku.com signed agreements with three major South Korean TV stations - MBC, KBS and SBS. It has also purchased rights from Warner Bros. to stream the hit movie "Inception," and charged five yuan (about 75 U.S. cents) for each view.
Additionally, Tudou.com is trying to produce its own films and TV series.
"From website operators to video producers, content copyright has become more crucial to the survival of video portals," said Li Shanyou, CEO of Ku6.com.
"It's good to protect IPRS, but I would still like to watch the TV series online for free," said Cui Shan, a citizen of Changchun, capital city of Jilin Province.
"Definitely there are markets for foreign TV series or movies in China," Cui said. "I think those websites should import more copyrighted movies and keep offering them at a low price to win markets."
China now has more than 200 million video website users and the market is growing, said Li Yongqiang. More paid online video programs will emerge as the cost of importing authorized films and TV programs rises.
Li said it is likely that video-sharing websites join hands to import copyrighted programs from overseas in order to lower the cost of watching TV series online.
"But after all, the spirit of the Internet is to share resources. So as China's online video industry becomes more regulated, more resources should be encouraged to be shared for free on the Internet, " Li said.

2011-01-10


Agreement Helps Mainland Authors to Collect Royalties This Year
The mainland-based China Written Works Copyright Society (CWWCS) signed a reciprocal agreement with Taiwan-based Chinese Oral and Literary Copyright Collective Management Association (COLCCMA). According to the agreement, from 2011, the COLCCMA will collect royalties from Taiwan's universities and copy shops for duplicating works of mainland authors.
The reciprocal agreement is an importance practice on the IPR cooperation between the two sides, said Fu Zhaoxiang, Board of COLCCMA. The COLCCMA has been a member of IFRRO, and China is ready to sign the agreement of its kind with associations of other countries and regions.

2011-01-06

Baidu Defeats 360 in Unfair
The Beijing No.2 Intermediate People's Court entered the first-instance judgment on the case between Baidu and 360, holding that Qizhi Software (Beijing) Company and Beijing Sanji Wireless Networks Company constituted unfair competition and ordering the two companies to compensate plaintiff for reasonably litigation charge and economic losses totaling 385,000 yuan.
Baidu sued 360 for unfair competition and sought 10 million in damages on August 2010. The court found that the defendant labeled Baidu toolbar and address bar as "malicious plug-in and software" in their 360 website, which the court believed falsely describe the software and misled users to delete. All the above mentioned acts constitute unfair competition. So ordered.

2011-01-06


Hu Jintao Stresses Innovation, SIPO Officials Awarded
On December 27, 2010, a national rally to honor model institutions and individuals that contributed to the successful hosting of the Shanghai World Expo was held in Beijing. Addressing the rally, Hu said that China should use the achievements accomplished from hosting the Shanghai Expo as part of the step-up efforts to assess the world's S&T development trend, foster new industry of strategic importance, vigorously develop clean production and recycle economy, cultivate creative talents, build an innovation-orientate country, facilitate industrial upgrades and promote people's living standard.
SIPO's Promotion and Coordination Department was awarded the one of the institutions contributing to the Expo. SIPO's Design Examination Department's Lin Xiaoyue, Promotion and Coordination Department's Zhu Jing, Patent Management Department's Wang Zhichao were awarded as individuals.

2011-01-06

PCT-PPH (CIPO ISA/IPEA) Pilot Project

January 2011
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is launching a new Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) - Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot project (commencing on January 31, 2011, for a period of 2 years). As with other PPH initiatives, the pilot project will allow applicants to obtain patents faster and more efficiently. This pilot is based on PCT work products established by CIPO as the International Searching Authority (ISA) and/or the International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA).
Where all requirements are met, the applicant can make a PCT-PPH request to CIPO for accelerated examination of a corresponding national phase application (the CIPO application must have entered national phase on or after January 31, 2011).
CIPO's goal is to provide a first action (allowance or first substantive report) for qualifying requests within 90 days. Typically, first actions can take from 18 to 33 months, depending on the specialty. CIPO will also process requests for advanced prosecution under the PCT-PPH (CIPO ISA/IPEA) project free of charge.
Please note that the Office may terminate the PCT-PPH (CIPO ISA/IPEA) project if the volume of participation exceeds a manageable level, or for any other reason (notice will be published if the project is terminated before the identified end date).

News from the US Patent and Trademark Office

NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR NATIONAL MEDAL OF TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

Washington – The Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking nominations for the 2011 National Medal of Technology and Innovation. The medal is presented each year by the President of the United States and is this country’s highest award for technological achievement.The Medal is awarded annually to individuals, teams (up to four individuals), companies or divisions of companies for their outstanding contributions to America’s economic, environmental and social well-being. By highlighting the national importance of technological innovation, the Medal also seeks to inspire future generations of Americans to prepare for and pursue technical careers to keep America at the forefront of global technology and economic leadership.

USPTO Creates “E-mail Hotline” For New Detroit Office Hiring News

Washington – The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is streamlining hiring information for people interested in job opportunities at the agency’s new office in Detroit with the creation of an e-mail hotline. All details on job openings, requirements and experience needed, and how to apply will be included in official hiring announcements to be released in the spring. The new mailbox will help the USPTO quickly relay the latest job information to interested members of the public.
Plans for the Detroit office were announced in December by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office David Kappos. The office represents the first phase of the USPTO’s Nationwide Workforce Program, an effort to hire more patent examiners and seek out additional resources and technical expertise in locations across the country.
The Detroit office will enable the USPTO to draw upon Michigan’s highly qualified workforce to help reduce the backlog of more than 700,000 patent applications. The office location and an anticipated opening date will be announced in the coming months.

Global Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Congress to Meet in Paris

Geneva, January 12, 2011
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry will be joined by his counterparts at INTERPOL, Mr. Ronald K. Noble, and the World Custom’s Organization (WCO), Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, as well as France’s Minister of Economy, Mrs. Christine Lagarde, at the opening of the Sixth Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy in Paris on February 2, 2011 to address the question of building respect for IP in a balanced and sustainable way. A number of ministers from around the world are expected to attend the Congress, in addition to other top government officials and corporate leaders.
Hosted by France’s National Industrial Property Institute and chaired by WIPO, the Congress is co-convened by INTERPOL and WCO, in co-operation with the world’s business community represented by the International Chamber of Commerce through its Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy initiative, and the INTA. The Congress is being held under the High Patronage of the President of the French Republic.
Under the theme ”Building Respect for IP: Sustainable Solutions to a Global Problem,” discussions at the Global Congress will focus on a balanced approach to combating counterfeiting and piracy, including with a view to underscoring the link between building respect for intellectual property and sustainable development. Overall, the Congress will seek to create a better understanding of the elements underlying the trade in illegitimate goods, and to discuss sustainable solutions to stop it. Discussions will be wide-ranging – from the growing menace associated with internet trade to the role of corporate responsibility in nurturing respect for IP.

Fourth Review of Iceland's Economic Recovery Programme approved by IMF Executive Board

01/10/11
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today approved the fourth review of the Economic Recovery Programme agreed by the IMF and the Icelandic government. This opens the way for disbursement of the fourth tranche of the Fund's loan provided to the Icelandic government which amounts to around ISK 19 billion. In addition, financing assurances by the Nordic countries are also expected to be forthcoming following the review.
Upon the conclusion of the review, the Icelandic government sent the IMF a new Letter of Intent, describing Iceland's economic policy. The Letter addresses that an economic recovery is gradually taking hold, apparent by the continued stability of the krona, a declining debt path, and falling inflation. Trade surpluses have allowed authorities to begin purchases of foreign currency to bolster reserves. Recent indicators suggest that demand is slowly picking up, and growth is expected to turn positive in 2011.
The government's economic strategy is based on four main pillars. Firstly, major effort is devoted to rebuilding a solid financial system which can fulfil the needs of household and corporate customers. Secondly, the financial position of the Treasury and the public sector needs to be reinforced. The recently passed budget for 2011 is a key factor and a stronger primary balance than expected will be delivered. In the third place, further steps need to be taken in relaxing capital account controls and determining the outlines of long-term monetary policy. Fourthly, mitigation of household and corporate debt must be ensured with the active participation of credit institutions. New legislation on foreign denominated loans and an agreement between the government, financial institutions and pension funds regarding measures for household debt relief lay the foundation for the debt restructuring that now must be accelerated. Furthermore, an agreement has been reached regarding a new framework for accelerating voluntary debt restructuring of small and medium enterprises. The objectives of the economic programme are to ensure sustainable growth and long-term economic opportunities.
"The approval of the Review is an important milestone," said Árni Páll Árnason, Minister of Economic Affairs. "We appreciate the positive feedback from the Fund regarding the disciplined austerity measures put forth by the government and our handling of economic policy. By accelerating private debt restructuring we pave the way for economic recovery in the coming months and further strengthen the financial sector."

The name of Hungarian Patent Office has changed to Hungarian Intellectual Property Office as of 1 January 2011

By virtue of Act CXLVIII of 2010, the name of the Hungarian Patent Office has changed to Hungarian Intellectual Property Office (HIPO) as of 1 January 2011, in conformity with the Office's wide range of activities, including all titles of industrial property and copyright.
The provisions concerning the competence of the Office have also changed reflecting its extended range of tasks as a result of the amendments. The tasks to be performed by the HIPO cover the registration and supervision of collective rights management organizations. Besides, they cover the contribution to the establishment of a uniform nation brand and the enhancement of the reputation of the typical Hungarian products. The tasks related to the operation of the National Board Against Counterfeiting have now been explicitly regulated by law.
The Act has renewed the opinion-giving body of the president of the HIPO, currently operating under the name of Hungarian Council for the Protection of Intellectual Property, under the new name of National Intellectual Property Council.

Amendments to section 31 of the Trademarks Act – representatives and powers of attorney

The amendments to section 31 of the Finnish Trademarks Act entering into force on 1 January 2011 requires that a trademark applicant or proprietor not domiciled in Finland must have a representative resident in the European Economic Area. At the application stage, it is sufficient to submit a power of attorney authorizing a representative to represent the client in all matters concerning the application. When the trademark is registered, the proprietor of the trademark must however have a representative resident in the European Economic Area who is authorized to represent the client in all matters concerning the trademark and is entitled to receive summons etc. on behalf of the client in all matters concerning the trademark. The power of attorney submitted at the application stage is therefore no longer sufficient for the registered trademark.
When you are filing an application, we recommend that you submit a power of attorney authorizing the representative to also represent you after the registration. No office actions will then be necessary at the end of the processing of your application because of deficiencies in the power of attorney, and the registration proceeds smoothly.

News from the Japan Patent Office

TM view adds data on Bulgarian domestic trademark applications and registrations
TMview added domestic trademark data (application and registration information) for Bulgaria to its searchable database. With the addition of Bulgaria’s domestic trademark data (approximately 79,000 cases), TMview’s stored data includes more than 4.7 million items. What is TMview? TMview is a free online trademark search service offered from April 13, 2010. It offers data for the following countries and organizations: OHIM, WIPO, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Italy, Benelux, Portugal, Denmark, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Bulgaria.

China to have world’s greatest number of patent applications in 2011
In the large international information provider Thomson-Reuter’s recently published analysis and research report on intellectual property rights, it was reported that China would surpass Japan and the United States for the number of patent applications filed in 2011, becoming top in the world. At this point, Japan is the world’s foremost in this category. China rose to third place in 2007.

Opponent party of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. appeals against patent suit regarding Otsuka Pharmaceutical’s “Abilify”
On December 16, 2010, Otsuka Holdings announced that Teva Pharmaceuticals USA and others had appealed the decision of a patent suit which Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd . had filed and won in a first hearing on November 15, 2010, concerning the antipsychotic “Abilify”

Nokia sues Apple regarding British, French, and Dutch patents
On December 16, 2010, the world’s largest cellular phone maker, Nokia, again filed suits in Great Britain, Germany, and the Netherlands against Apple for violation of patents in relation to smartphone patents. Nokia claims that Apple products such as the iPhone infringe upon its patents related to touchscreens, noise suppression, and other features.

Greenland will join the international trade mark and design system from 11 January 2011.

Greenland is becoming party to the Madrid Protocol concerning the international registration of trade marks and the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement concerning the international registration of industrial designs from 11 January 2011.
This means that future international registrations in which Denmark is designated include Greenland.

Entry into force of the Swiss Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) und arbitral decisions

The Swiss CPC enters into force on 1 January 2011 (Harmonizing civil procedure legislation). The new act replaces the 26 cantonal civil procedure legislations. Based on the Concordat of 27 March 1969 concerning arbitration, the third part of the CPC (Art. 353 ff CPC) regulates arbitration cases internal to Switzerland (German BBl 2006 7221, 7240, French, Italian).

In this regard, we remind that the IPI can only enforce arbitral decisions if a certificate of enforceability is produced (PMMBl 1976 I, 9, 10). Pursuant to the new Art. 356 CPC, the Canton of the arbitration court designates a high court which is competent for the said certificate concerning the arbitral decision.

Happy New Year 2011

News from the US Patent and Trademark Office

USPTO Reorganizes Operational Structure to More Effectively Achieve Goals set out in 2010-2015 Strategic Plan

Creates new Office of the Chief Communications Officer andOffice of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity reporting to the Under Secretary and Director Patent and Trademark Appeal Boards to report directly to Under Secretary and Director

Washington - Under Secretary of Commerce and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) David Kappos announced today that, effective October 1, the USPTO is reorganizing its operational structure to strengthen the agency’s management, communications and policy functions in accordance with the goals set forth in its 2010-2015 Strategic Plan, the text of which is available on the USPTO Web site and which will be available in final format in the coming weeks.
“We have revised our structure so that we can operate more efficiently, communicate with the public in a more effective and transparent manner, and enhance our ability to achieve our goals,” said Under Secretary Kappos. “These organizational changes will enable us to better achieve our goals of reducing patent pendency and bringing innovation to market sooner, while strengthening the appeal process, promoting a more diverse workplace, and enhancing the Agency’s critical communications and outreach functions.”
The reorganization changes the first-line structure of the organizations reporting to the Office of the Under Secretary and Director by establishing a new Office of the Chief Communications Officer (formerly the Office of Public Affairs within the Under Secretary’s Office) and a new Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity (formerly the Office of Civil Rights within the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer) as separate organizations reporting directly to the Under Secretary and Director and represented on the Agency’s Executive Committee.
It also transfers the reporting of the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, which were formerly part of the Office of General Counsel, to the Office of the Under Secretary. Additional changes involve the Patent Organization - including the addition of an Associate Commissioner for Innovation Development - and the Office of the Administrator for Policy and External Affairs to better align and clarify competencies and functions performed by those organizations. The reorganization will not increase the USPTO’s number of full-time employees or resource requirements, and the agency’s current facilities in Alexandria, Va., will accommodate the reorganization.

News from the Japan Patent Office (JPO)

India adopts the 9th edition of the Nice Classification for trademarks(India)
India has adopted the 9th edition of the International Classification of Goods and Services for trademarks (“Nice Classification”), following an amendment of its Trade Marks Rules dated May 20, 2010.With this amendment, the service classes 43, 44 and 45 have become available for use in the country. Published and registered trademarks may be registered or renewed with their original classes, as reclassification for these trademarks is not mandatory. However, it will be necessary to undertake specific procedures for currently pending trademark applications, such as filing a petition for reclassification into the appropriate class(es) or limiting the scope of the application to the services of class 42.


Spanish Court dismisses claims that YouTube is responsible for infringing content.
A Madrid appeal court dismissed on September 23, 2010 a complaint filed by the Spanish television channel Telecinco, which was claiming that the popular video-sharing website YouTube is responsible for the copyright-infringing content uploaded by its users. The Court pointed out that YouTube offers a tool allowing copyright owners to erase infringing content, and stated that the responsibility to identify infringing contents and inform YouTube accordingly laid with copyright owners.

OKI Data is infringing on Ricoh’s US patent, says ITC in preliminary ruling
An administrative law judge of the US International Trade Commission (ITC) issued on September 23, 2010 a preliminary ruling stating that OKI Data was infringing on one patent owned by Ricoh. Ricoh had previously filed with the ITC a complaint alleging that OKI Data was infringing on five of its patents related to printer technology.

News from the Japan Patent Office (JPO)

IBM, Canon and Micron top US patent asset ranking
The Tokyo-based Patent Result published on August 17, 2010 a ranking of the scope of US patent assets of major companies. The ranking is based both on the number of patent applications and on their quality. The first place went to IBM, followed by Canon and Micron Technologies. Companies active in the fields of semiconductors, electric devices and precision devices tend to occupy the top ranks. While the value of patents is often hard to estimate, the present ranking can prove to be a useful indicator.

“Tiananmen” not registrable as trademark in China – new examination guidelines set by the Chinese government
The Chinese government has set new guidelines regarding the registration of trademarks, the news website China Net reports. The name of the People’s Republic of China, its flag, words such as 中国 and 中華 (both meaning “China”) or the abbreviations CN and PCR, along with famous place names such as “Tiananmen”, “Xinhuamen” or “Great Hall of the People” will not be registrable as trademarks. Further, no trademark right will be granted for excessively common marks. These new examination guidelines aim to clarify the trademark process in China.

Google dismisses Oracle’s lawsuit over Java patents by calling it a baseless attack on the Java community
Following Oracle’s filing of a lawsuit on August 12, 2010 against Google for alleged patent infringement, Google has responded by expressing its disappointment “that Oracle has chosen to attack both Google and the open source Java community with this baseless lawsuit”. Java’s status as a crucial tool in today’s IT sector will most likely cause this lawsuit and its future developments to come under close scrutiny.

Japan urges China to strengthen IP rights protection
As the situation of intellectual property rights in China is raising concerns abroad, a Japanese delegation of governmental and business representatives paid a visit to the Chinese government in Beijing to request a revision of the current laws. The Japanese delegation, whose visit included China’s highest judicial organ, the Supreme People’s Court, requested among others a strengthening of sanctions against infringers.

News from the Chinese Patent Office (SIPO)

China Launches One-stop Service for IP
On August 17, the one-stop service platform for intellectual property (IPOS) was official launched by Chine Technology Exchange, IP Publishing House and other patent agencies in Beijing, marking a step toward creating an effective channel for capital to flow into technology.
Supported by SIPO, the Ministry of Science and Technology and Beijing government, the IPOS is established to implement national IP strategy, accelerate commercialization and industrial upgrade, provide high-quality comprehensive intellectual property rights services for the government, business sectors, science and technology parks, research institutes and various types of investment institutes. It is also available for customers to raise awareness of intellectual property rights protection, improve intellectual property managerial and advance efficiency of commercialization in intellectual property rights.

Authorities Seize 4 mln Illegal Publications in Shanghai Expo Crackdown
Authorities in the World Expo host city of Shanghai had confiscated more than 4.28 million illegal publications as of July in a crackdown launched in April, the National Anti-Pornography and Anti-Illegal Publications Office said Wednesday.
Of the 4.28 million illegal publications seized, more than 2.98 million were pirated audiovisual products, more than 76,000 were pornographic, and more than 1.23 million were illegal newspapers and periodicals, an official from the office said during a weekly briefing.
Altogether 2,179 stalls selling illegal publications have been shut down during the crackdown and 80 illegal websites closed, figures from the office showed.
The campaign, which runs till Oct. 31, aims to protect intellectual property rights with an emphasis on fighting piracy during the six-month Shanghai World Expo, which opened May 1.
Shanghai authorities have set up a special team to inspect the main commercial districts, tourist spots, and areas around the Expo site, the official said.
Shanghai authorities also made joint efforts with neighboring provinces including Jiangsu and Zhejiang to fight illegal publications by signing an agreement to share information and cooperate in investigations.

Beijing: Annual Patent Agency Check Begins Sept 1
This year's annual check of patent agencies is scheduled to begin on Sept 1 and will last two months.
All agencies established before Aug 31, as well as their branches and practicing agents, are eligible for the annual qualification review.
The review results will be announced before Nov 30.
Those who fail to participate or pass the review will be prohibited from continuing in the patent agency business.
SIPO will not accepting applications for new agencies during the review period.

Beijing: Tech Deals Contributed 8.7 Percent to Capital City's Overall Economy
Tech deals comprised 8.7 percent of the capital's economy in 2009, equal to the contribution from the real estate sector, the municipal statistics bureau announced recently.
More than 19,000 technology contracts worth 79.7 billion yuan were signed in the first half of this year, an increase of 47 percent year-on-year, an all-time record.
The environmental sector had a 251 percent surge in contract value over the first half of last year, while the new energy segment registered 78 percent year-on-year growth in technology transactions.

Qinghai: International Fair Showcases Traditional Tibetan Tangka Art
A recent international art fair in Tongren county showcased both traditional and innovative tangka collections from around the world.
Tangkas - a Tibetan artform of pictures painted or embroidered in silk or cloth - are listed among the nation's intangible cultural heritage. The host county, home to 10 archeological sites, has gained global fame as a center of the traditional art.
(China IP News)
2010-08-27