Hunan plan says patents crucial to improved society

A recently released plan by the Hunan provincial intellectual property office envisions "an information-based society with resource conservation and eco-friendliness" realized in part through integrating patents in the local government effort.

Patents will also be used to support urbanization by developing new industries and modern agriculture, said the plan.

A year after the State Council released the outline of national intellectual property strategy, in 2009 the Central China province unveiled its own strategies that includes six projects with 24 detailed tasks.