China's IP Public Services Record Palpable Advancement

"China recorded substantial advancement in IP public service range and quality in 2020," Wang Peizhang, Director General of Public Service Department of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), gave the gist of the 2020 China Intellectual Property Public Service Development Report at the CNIPA's second-quarter press conference.

Administrative reforms advance steadily and surely

According to the Report, CNIPA has been pressing ahead with the reform to streamline administration and delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade services. In regard to changes at examination procedures, examination duration for invention patents and high-value patents shrunk to 20 months and 14 months respectively as of the end of 2020. Average pendency for trademark registrations was curtailed to four months, reaching the goal demanded by the State Council on shortening trademark examination duration ahead of time. In terms of convenience in formalities, online services have covered all formalities concerning patent and trademark filing, resulting in e-application rates for patent and trademark hitting 98.8% and 98.0% respectively. Considering the integration and optimization of IP service resources, a 'one-stop service network' for IP business has been preliminarily established. Patent and trademark formalities can be handled at a 'one service window' in 27 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.

Deepening the IP-related administrative reform not only makes up an important part of the overall deployment of China's administrative reform on delegating power, improving regulation and upgrading services, but also bolsters the implementation of the innovation-driven development strategy in a bid to improve the climate for doing business, construct a new development paradigm and achieve high-quality development.

During the outgoing 13th Five-Year period, the CNIPA, centering on facilitating public services and enhancing the public's sense of acquisition, having achieved notable results in boosting the IP-related administrative reform with dynamic efforts. During the 13th Five-Year period, it took only five working days for a new patent firm to gain approval for operation, cut short from 20 days. The pendency for registration of patent pledging and filing of patent licensing contracts was reduced from five working days to one day. The types of basic patent data allowing free access expanded from 29 to 34 while over 52 million entries of trademark data were also free for public access. A total of 995,000 patent (91,000) and trademark (904,000)administrative ruling documents were published. Patent and trademark pledge financing amounted to 709.5 billion yuan (patent 470.4 billion yuan, trademark 239.1 billion yuan). Official fees for patent and trademark shrunk 47.17 billion yuan combined (patent 33.21 billion yuan, trademark 13.96 billion yuan). In the meantime, paperwork for patent and trademark filings plummeted over 15 million documents.

Information services improve step by step

The Report illustrates China's efforts in gradually improving its public service system for IP information and rapidly raising the efficiency of IP information dissemination and use. By the end of 2020, 27 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities and 15 sub-provincial cities established public service agencies for IP information, of which provincial agencies' coverage reached 91% and coverage of regional cities increased from 23% to 27%. The CNIPA has steadily promoted the establishment of public service outlets for IP information, with efforts to launch the third group of 34 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) and the second group of 37 National IP Information Centers in Colleges and Universities and prepare the fourth batch of 51 TISCs. As of date, 102 TISCs have been in place in China (including those under preparation), covering all 31 provinces, while the National IP Information Centers in Colleges and Universities recorded 60, covering over 80% of provinces.

In regard to public access to basic data, the CNIPA clarified the standards for the use of basic data on patent, trademark, geographical indication, and layout design of integrated circuit in 2020 by means of upgrading the 2020 Intellectual Property Basic Information Data Specification (Trial Version) and issuing the Guidelines for the Use of Basic Intellectual Property Data. By the end of 2020, the CNIPA has housed 183 million entries of patent documents at home and abroad, involving over 100 countries, organizations and regions. Over 51 million pieces of released basic trademark information were downloaded by 608,000 users.

According to Wang, the CNIPA will draft further measures to advance the IP public service system, bolster IP information and intelligent infrastructure construction, clarify IP public service matters and unify public service standards, which helps to enlarge the resource supply of IP public services, raise the quality and level of public services, advance the high-efficient configuration and high-value application of innovative resources, and foster the high-quality economic and social development.

Source:China IP News