IP Scene

1. Jiangsu

Rising value from proprietary tech

Products with proprietary technologies contributed more than 50 percent of the province's total industrial output value last year, a sharp rise over the 38 percent figure in 2011, said Zhu Yu, head of the provincial intellectual property office. He said the growth was the result of a series of initiatives by local governments last year to complete an IP system that encourages protection in companies.

PEOPLE.COM.CN

2. Beijing

Outlook for in-house IP managers

China Intellectual Property magazine recently unveiled results of research into the careers of in-house IP managers, finding the job has "great potential" as economic development and IP awareness continue to rise. The report suggests IP managers use their skills to create market value, reduce risks and losses for companies while enhancing cooperation with their peers. The research found that more than half of the workload for IP managers is comprised of patent management, organizing training and formulating strategies.

Forum on intellectual property

Intellectual property was one of hot issues discussed during a two-day forum of 200 scholars, company executives, representatives of trade associations and government officials in early January. Participants exchanged opinions on corporate IP management as well as the latest developments in laws and regulations.

CNR trains arrive in Buenos Aires

Subway trains designed and manufactured by China CNR Corp are replacing the aged rolling stock in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The first equipment, which will serve the capital city's Line A, arrived in late 2012 for a series of tests. According to a contract signed in 2008, another three lines will also use Chinese trains. The city's subway system started service in 1913. Today more than 50 carriages built a century ago are still in service.

PEOPLE'S DAILY

3. Shanghai

800m yuan in collateralized loans

The latest report from the city's IP office shows 357 local companies received nearly 800 million yuan ($128.7 million) in loans using patents and trademarks as collateral. No bad debt has been recorded in the entire time since the first such loan was granted in 2006. IP-collateralized financing is now available in all five metropolitan districts of Shanghai.

SHANGHAI.GOV.CN

Study: Asia-Pacific hub by 2020

Becoming an IP center in the Asia-Pacific region is a core part of the city's strategy for the decade from 2010 to 2020, local officials announced recently. The plan was settled late last year after the city's intellectual property office finished a two-year study of local companies, colleges, universities and research institutes. The results show that Shanghai, a robust component of the country's economy, trade, science and education, has a superior environment for deepening IP operations.

IP.PEOPLE.COM.CN

4. Fujian

Touch screen maker sues Nokia

Xiamen-headquartered touch screen maker TPK Holdings Co filed a 26.9 million yuan lawsuit against Nokia's Chinese mainland division last week claiming that one type of Nokia phone violates its patent on screen technology. At the same time it sued competitor O-film Tech from Nanjing for the same reason, asking for 60.6 million yuan in compensation. Both cases were accepted by the Xiamen intermediate court. TPK is a Taiwan-funded company and a major screen supplier for Apple's iPhone and iPad.

NATIONAL BUSINESS DAILY