Chinese central government has recently issued the 2010 funding program for applying patents in competent authorities in foreign countries. According to the program, 102 applications submitted via Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) to foreign patent authorities in Changsha, Hunan Province, have received subsidies, accounting for 89% in all the funded applications in the province. The financial support given to the 102 applications amounts to RMB 3.33 million, taking up 64% in the gross funds allocated to the province.

The 102 patents in Hunan Province come from eight enterprises and one university, covering a variety of industrial sectors such as engineering machinery, medical equipment, new energies and metallurgy. Five out of the eight companies have been incorporated in the IPR Advantages Cultivating Programs in Changsha and contribute 97 PCT applications therein, which have been granted RMB 2.85 million. The highest fund given to single patent reaches RMB 430 thousand this time.

In 2009, the Ministry of Finance announced the "Notice on Issuing the Interim Measures for the Administration of Special Funds for Subsidizing Foreign Patent Applications" and set up the special funds accordingly to encourage Chinese people to apply patents in foreign patent agencies.

(IPR in China)