According to the latest SIPO statistics released on January 8, SIPO received a total of 653,000 invention applications, up 24.0%. 217,000 inventions were granted, up 26.1%.
In 2012, patent applications in China maintained a steady growth with 2.051 million patent applications in total, up 26%. 1.255 million patents were granted, up 31%. Analysis held that new breakthroughs in terms of quality and quantity reflect that Chinese patent is maintaining balanced and scientific development.
Among the 653,000 invention applications, 535,000 (81.9%) were from domestic applications, up 28.7%; 118,000 (18.1%) were from abroad, up 6.2%. Among the 535,000 domestic applications, 428,000 or 80.0% were service ones, up 32.1%. Among the 428,000 service applications, 316,000 or 73.8% were filed by enterprises, up 36.6%. In 2012, SIPO granted 217,000 inventions, up 26.1%, among which 144,000 were granted to domestic users, representing 66.4% of the total with a year-on-year increase of 28.0%; 73,000 were granted to users from abroad, representing 33.6%, up 22.6%. Analysis held that remarkable progress has been made in domestic invention applications and grants in recent years that began to exceed foreign applications. All these achievements reflect that capacity for independent innovation of Chinese innovators has been comprehensively improved. Continuous growth in service and enterprise invention applications reflect that Chinese enterprises have already been the main force of inventions, the competitiveness has been notably improved and they have made sustainable contributions to economic development.
In 2012, SIPO received a total number of 20,000 international applications under PCT. By the end of 2012, the invention holdings for each 10,000 heads reached 3.23. Analysis held fast growth in international applications under PCT reflects that Chinese enterprises start to regard IPR as an important tool in participating the international economic and trade activities and competing in the global markets. The growth in invention holdings for each 10,000 heads reflects positive trends in Chinese IPR development and the gap to realize the target raised in the "12th Five-Year Plan" is narrowed.
Cao Xinming, a Professor from IPR research center of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, told CIP News that he was impressed by the remarkable progress China has made in IPR development in recent years. In 2011, China ranked the top in global patent applications. In 2012, a new breakthrough in patent applications has been made. According to him, all these achievements could be attributed to the implementation of the National Intellectual Property Strategy. He said that IPR, especially the patent, is playing an increasingly important role in readjusting industrial structure, transforming economic development mode, lessening economic risk and building an innovative country. Up to now, with the number of patent applications keeping growing, China begins to attach more importance to patent quality.
(Source: SIPO 2013-01-28)