- Xinjiang

Counterfeit cellphone parts seized

Local customs at the Urumchi international airport recently seized more than 700 mobile phone shells and parts with counterfeited trademarks including Nokia, Apple and Samsung that a Russian traveler bought at a local wholesale market and planned to take back to Moscow. In the past three years, Urumchi airport customs uncovered some 100 shipments of counterfeits and seized about 50,000 fake items with a combined potential sales value of more than 2 million yuan ($325,600).

CUSTOMS.GOV.CN

- Beijing

Boosting patent agency standards

The State Intellectual Property Office recently announced that it plans to set patent agency standards for services, work quality and management, which will help stimulate the market and promote healthy growth in the sector. The office added that it will also ease access to the industry and attract more professionals to meet growing demand.

Proposals from the two sessions

SIPO followed up on some 70 intellectual property proposals submitted during last year's sessions of the NPC and CPPCC, which included corporate innovation, training of more IP professionals and establishment of an IP review system for major economic and scientific projects. SIPO said it will continue to improve channels for communication with representatives to implement proposals from this year's two sessions.

GOV.CN

- Tianjin

Proprietary eco-protection tech

The local government plans to launch a "Beautiful Tianjin" project this year using proprietary ecological protection technologies. The initiative will help local companies develop, commercialize and promote technologies that increase energy efficiency and deal with pollution, said local government officials. As well, the local IP administration said that it will help a number of pilot companies improve their patent management systems.

Enorth.com.cn

- Henan

National demonstration zone

The Luoyang National New & High Tech Industry Development Zone was recently listed as a national demonstration zone for IP, the first high-tech zone in the province to win the honor. Companies in the zone filed 1,641 patent applications last year including more than 708 for inventions. The zone also has six national R&D centers. Eight other high-tech zones across the nation made the list as well.

news.lyd.com.cn

- Fujian

First cross-Straits IP alliance

The first cross-Straits IP alliance was formed this month between the Xiamen Innovation and Intellectual Property Protection Association and Taiwan's Intellectual Property Protection Association in Taipei. With secretariats in both cities, it will host regular exchanges between Chinese mainland and Taiwan companies, and offer legal consultation and information for investors .

Legal Daily

- Guangdong

BYD leads in invention patents

Shenzhen-based BYD Auto Co topped the nation last year in the number of granted invention patents in the auto industry, according to statistics from SIPO. It was also the only automaker from China that ranked in the top 10 in the number of invention patents and international patent applications through the Patent Cooperation Treaty. The company now has some 2,100 invention patents, including 340 granted last year.

Shenzhen Special Zone Daily

(China Daily 03/12/2014 page17)