Economic Daily:

We have noticed that China recently published data on the added-value of patent-intensive industries. What are the main areas covered by these industries? As for the development of related industries, in what areas is China lagging behind developed economies such as Europe and the U.S.? Thank you.

Shen Changyu:

Thank you for your question and interest. As I just mentioned, not long ago, the National Intellectual Property Administration and the National Bureau of Statistics jointly released data on the added-value of national patent-intensive industries. The data showed that the added-value of China's patent-intensive industries was 10.7 trillion yuan in 2018, accounting for 11.6% of GDP. These industries contributed 15.7% to GDP growth, thereby bolstering high-quality economic development.

The term "patent-intensive industries" refers to a collection of sectors in which the intensity and scale of invention patents meet prescribed standards, rely a lot on intellectual property rights in market competition, and pursue innovation development. Examples include information and communications, new equipment manufacturing, new materials, medicine and medical care and environmental protection sectors, which all reflect the new progress in improving economic structure and transforming growth drivers, as well as the new outcomes in innovation-driven development.

In recent years, developed economies, such as Europe and the U.S., have also paid increasingly more attention to patent-intensive industries and have carried out regular statistical research and published the data. For example, according to the latest report released by the EU in 2019, the share of its patent-intensive industries in GDP already reached 16.1%, 4.5 percentage points higher than China's 11.6%.

However, China is expected to see its patent-intensive industries maintaining stable growth while playing a greater role in transforming the pattern of economic growth and developing the real economy in the future. Thank you.

CRI:

In recent years, reforms to streamline administration, delegate powers, improve regulation, and upgrade services continued in the field of intellectual property rights, and reforms to facilitate trademark registration also intensified, delivering continuous benefits. How effective are the trademark registration facilitation reforms in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship? What are the future steps? Thank you.

Shen Changyu:

Let's invite Mr. He to answer your question.

He Zhimin:

Thanks for your questions. In recent years, the National Intellectual Property Administration has been prioritizing the reforms to streamline administration, delegate powers, improve regulation and upgrade services, and it has also been facilitating intellectual property services. We released implementation opinions on deepening the reforms in the field of intellectual property and creating a good business environment, with 78 specific measures proposed in 14 aspects to realize more convenient applications, more efficient review, fuller use, stronger protection and better service. At present, we are actively building an intellectual property big data center and public service platform to offer multiple services at one stop. As for the reforms to facilitate trademark registration, we have done a lot for a better and quicker trademark review, and we have made great progress.

First, we shortened the average review period of trademark registration to four and a half months, a level that is close to the world's fastest under the same system. The review period of trademark change, transfer, and international registration under the Madrid System has also been reduced. The review period for dismissed cases is now reduced from 12 months to seven months, and for complex cases, it has been reduced to 10 months.

Second, we are facilitating trademark services. Applicants can handle major trademark-related business that includes registration, change, transfer and international registration under the Madrid System both online and offline. Last year, the online application rate reached 94.5%; among the 212 trademark service windows nationwide, 103 can handle trademark pledge financing. We helped companies raise about 41.1 billion yuan last year, effectively addressing their financing difficulties.

Third, we made trademark review procedures more open and transparent, published trademark review and adjudication documents, conducted review hearings orally and on circuit and disclosed information on all of the more than 40 million trademarks. We have actively accepted societal supervision while offering better services.

Fourth, we carried out vigorous actions in the Trademark Review Quality Improvement Year, and strictly combated trademark hoarding and malicious registration. From April 2019 to the end of the year, 39,000 applications for abnormal trademarks were rejected during the review stage alone.

In addition, we also improved the quality and efficiency of patent review. By the end of March this year, the average review period for invention patents had been cut to 20.5 months, and the review period for high-value patents had been reduced to 16.6 months.

This year, we will further promote reforms to facilitate trademark registration and streamline procedures by improving online trademark services. At the same time, we will further improve review and adjudication standards, continue to curb the hoarding and malicious registration of trademarks that are not for use purposes, regulate trademark agency and promote high-quality trademark review and adjudication. Thank you.