By the end of last year, patent applications in Zhejiang had soared more than 500 percent over 2005 as the province issued a range of policies to encourage innovation.
In 2010 alone, Zhejiang granted more than 114,000 patents, an increase of 43.4 percent over the previous year.
And as both private and government-owned enterprises mature, their share of the patent pool has surged.
Enterprise applications increased seven-fold over the past five years, while their number of patents granted during the period increased by 11 times.
"The rise in patents by enterprises is one of the key factors in patent growth," said Chen Longgen, deputy director of Zhejiang's intellectual property office.
H3C Technologies Co Ltd headquartered in the provincial capital Hangzhou is one of the most notable.
It was among the nation's top 10 companies in number of invention patents granted last year, according to statistics from the State Intellectual Property Office.
It has filed more than 3,000 patent applications, around 90 percent of them for inventions. Nearly all have been commercialized.
Chen said he believes that patents have more to do with the economy than technology. "The purpose of applying for patents is to secure market share and bring about profit," he said.
The provincial intellectual property office spent more than 28 million yuan ($4.32 million) on 2,430 training programs over the last five years, with more than 211,000 people participating.
Forty-three professional patent agencies had started in Zhejiang by the end of last year, employing more than 800 people.
Chen said a good patent agent must be an all-round expert.
"He must transform technical language into what is written in the patent application, see the potential value in technical modifications and be ready for lawsuits when disputes happen," he explained.
A series of intellectual property service organizations and information centers are now also operating in major cities in the province such as Hangzhou, Wenzhou and Ningbo.
As well, trade associations are playing an important role in protecting inventions.
In Fenshui town in the west of the province, a national center for writing pen manufacturing, the sector's trade association has developed a new way to help inventors protect their interests.
"It often takes a long time - even several years - before a patent application is approved," said Chen. "If disputes happen during this period, the patent owner will suffer great losses."
Today when a pen maker applies for a patent, it also files an application with the trade association, which then protects the patent after a quick examination.
One of several trade associations across the province, it also hosts training programs to enhance awareness of intellectual property.
(Source:China Daily)
