IP scene in Beijing, Jiangsu and Chongqing
Beijing
System advances Madrid mechanism
The State Intellectual Property Office announced on June 21 the opening of an online system for filing international trademark applications. The China-developed system is a milestone in advancing the Madrid mechanism of international trademark filings, experts said. In the six days since opening, the system received 91 filings. China ranked third on the Madrid chart in 2017, contributing 4,810 international trademark filings.
Jiangsu
Trademark filings shoot up in 2017
The province reported an overall rapid rise in trademark filings last year, but with vastly differing figures based on individual areas, according to a report released on June 29. The annual report on Jiangsu's trademark and brands strategy showed that new trademark filings from the province topped 352,730 last year, ranking it No 4 among provinces in China. Suzhou topped the province in terms of number of annual filings and new trademarks. International trademark applications filed via the Madrid system across the province surged 86.65 percent to nearly 630 last year.
Chongqing
Qualified patent agents on the rise
As of May, some 42,000 people had acquired patent agent qualifications across the country. Of them, 17,000 agents are practicing in more than 1,900 agencies, according to a meeting held at the municipality on June 28 and 29. The meeting attracted some 100 government officials and leaders of the All-China Patent Attorneys Association. The IP agencies nationwide generated 26 billion yuan ($3.9 billion) in total business revenue last year, jumping 71 percent from 2015.