By Qu Song, People’s Daily
Intellectual property (IP) has been among China’s priorities when it implements the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), given its importance in the cooperation among en-route countries.
According to recent data released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China filed 48,882 applications under the WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), ranking the second in the world.
It indicated that the country is beefing up IP cooperation with its global partners when it steps towards an IP powerhouse.
Among the top 15 origins for PCT filings, only China and India are middle-income countries, and China is the only one that recorded double-digit annual growth – filing 13.4 percent more applications from a year before.
China has posted double-digit annual growth rates in PCT applications since 2003. In 2017, its export of IP royalties exceeded $4 billion for the first time.
China upgraded the protection of intellectual property right (IPR) to a national strategy after it released the National Intellectual Property Strategy in 2008, effectively pushing the country a step closer to a business environment that is more fair, transparent and predicable.
In order to optimize management efficiency, the country restructured its intellectual property administration last August to centralize the management of patents, appearance designs, trademarks, geographical indications, and layout designs of integrated circuit.
Given the fundamental role IP plays in the process of building Belt and Road, China has devoted proactive efforts on such cooperation when implementing the initiate.
A joint initiative to intensify IP cooperation among en-route countries was released by the first High-level Conference on Intellectual Property for Countries along the Belt and Road held in Beijing in July 2016, during which a mechanism on IP cooperation was established as well.
During the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) held in 2017, an agreement on enhancing Belt and Road intellectual property cooperation between China and the WIPO was inked, endowing more international significance to IP cooperation along the route.
Commissioner Shen Changyu of China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) noted at the second High-level Conference on Intellectual Property for Countries along the Belt and Road last August that all the IP cooperation projects within the framework has been put into implementation under joint efforts.
China’s rise to the world’s second largest source of PCT applications, as well as its high annual growth illustrate that its IP royalties now have more weight in international society.
WIPO’s director general Francis Gurry, also as signatory of the agreement on enhancing Belt and Road intellectual property cooperation between the WIPO and China, said in a recent interview with Chinese media that different from traditional trade pacts and cooperation models, the Belt and Road is more about strengthening the capacity of the Belt and Road countries in trade and business cooperation, and intellectual property plays a vital role in such capacity building.
Chinese leadership lays great emphasis on the role of intellectual property in an innovation-driven contemporary economy, and all other economic spheres, said the WIPO head, who signed the deal when attending the first BRF.
The deal also marks the first agreement between the Chinese government and an international organization regarding the IP cooperation among Belt and Road countries.
Gurry believes that Chinese experiences also indicated the country’s long-term commitment to intellectual property, which is an important reference for other countries.
As the chief of the UN institution to protect IP registration and encourage innovation, Gurry also pledged an active engagement of WIPO in the China-proposed BRI.
The head, who will soon kick off his journey to Beijing to attend the second BRF, also hoped China can share more of its experiences in intellectual property with the Belt and Road countries, so as to propel intellectual property undertakings and economic prosperity of these countries.
Asia’s largest dredging vessel Tiankun starts maiden voyage, after completing the customs clearance procedures on March 12, 2019. The dredger is independently developed and built by China. (Photo by People’s Daily Online)
Fuxing bullet trains are exhibited at the China Railway Science and Technology Innovation Achievement Exhibition, December 25, 2018. The exhibition was opened at the China National Railway Track Test Centre, Beijing on December 24, 2018. The exhibition, hosted by China Railway Corporation, displayed a batch of advanced railway technologies and equipment independently developed by China, including the 17-carriage Fuxing bullet train running at 350-KPH, 8-carriage Fuxing bullet train running at 250-KPH, and a Fuxing model with a centralized power system that runs at 160 KPH. In addition, the new coatings for the high speed trains running on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway were also unveiled for the first time at the exhibition. (Photo by People’s Daily Online)
知识产权合作助力“一带一路”建设
人民日报记者 曲颂
日前，世界知识产权组织（WIPO）公布消息称，2017年中国提交的PCT国际专利申请量达48882件，排名全球第二。这一数据表明中国逐渐向知识产权强国迈进，并积极向世界推广合作。
PCT国际专利指的是专利申请人通过《专利合作条约》途径递交的国际专利。在PCT国际专利申请量前15位的原属地中，仅有中国和印度两个中等收入国家。中国PCT国际专利申请年增长率达13.4%，是唯一取得两位数增长的国家。而且自2003年以来，中国PCT国际专利申请的年增长率都高于10%。另外，2017年，中国知识产权使用费出口额首次超过40亿美元。
自2008年制定《国家知识产权战略纲要》以来，中国把保护知识产权提升为国家战略，有效地营造了稳定公平透明、可预期的营商环境。2018年8月，中国国家知识产权局进行重组，实现专利、外观设计、商标、原产地地理标志、集成电路布图设计的集中管理，知识产权的管理效能大大提高。
因为知识产权在推进“一带一路”建设方面发挥着非常重要的基础性作用，中国在落实倡议过程中积极开展知识产权合作。
2016年7月，首届“一带一路”知识产权高级别会议在北京举行，会议发布了《加强“一带一路”国家知识产权领域合作的共同倡议》，建立起“一带一路”知识产权合作机制。2017年，在“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛期间，中国国家知识产权局又与世界知识产权组织签署“一带一路”知识产权合作协议，使“一带一路”知识产权合作具有更多国际意义。2018年8月，第二届“一带一路”知识产权高级别会议上，国家知识产权局局长申长雨介绍，在各方共同努力下，两年来所有“知识产权”框架内的合作项目都得到积极落实。
PCT国际专利申请量全球排名第二和高年增长率，也反映出中国知识产权的含金量愈发受到世界认可。世界知识产权组织总干事弗朗西斯·高锐曾经参加首届“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛，并签署了中国政府与国际组织签署的首个有关“一带一路”知识产权合作的文件——《世界知识产权组织与中华人民共和国政府加强“一带一路”知识产权合作协议》。
日前，高锐在接受中国媒体采访时谈到，与以往的贸易协定或贸易合作方式不同，“一带一路”倡议更强调增强沿线国家之间开展贸易与商业合作的能力建设，而这种能力建设离不开知识产权。中国的领导层一直非常强调知识产权在创新和当代经济中的作用，而且是在所有经济领域中都很重视知识产权的影响，这也是一个非常重要的经验。此外，中国的经验还表明，对知识产权的重视需要一个长期的过程，中国充分展示了重视知识产权的长期政策决心，这也值得其他国家借鉴。
作为联合国系统内负责产权注册保护和推动创新的专业机构负责人，高锐即将赴京参加第二届“一带一路”高峰合作论坛。他希望，世界知识产权组织积极参与中国提出的“一带一路”倡议，希望中国积极与沿线国家分享知识产权方面的经验，共同促进这些国家知识产权事业发展和经济繁荣。
2019年3月15日消息，亚洲最大的重型自航绞吸船“天鲲号”3月12日完成通关手续，从江苏连云港开启首航之旅，标志着完全由我国自主研发、建造的疏浚重器“天鲲号”正式投产首航。（人民图片）
2018年纪12月24日，中国铁路科技创新成就展在北京国家铁道试验中心开幕。此次成就展由中国铁路总公司主办。一大批中国自主研发的先进铁路技术装备集中展出，时速350公里17辆长编组、时速250公里8辆编组、时速160公里动力集中电动车组等多款复兴号新型动车组，以及京张高铁“龙凤呈祥”“瑞雪迎春”外观涂装方案实体样车，均首次公开亮相。2018年12月25日，北京国家铁道试验中心拍摄的新登场亮相的电动车组。（人民图片）
