1. Beijing

Top court cases in 2012

The Beijing Higher People's Court recently unveiled a list of the top 10 intellectual property rights cases of 2012 selected from more than 10,000 that concluded last year. Five of the top legal proceedings were about copyrights, four centered on trademarks and one was a patent dispute. The courts in Beijing have heard more than 11,300 intellectual property rights cases over the past year, a year-on-year increase of 17.7 percent. Among them 6,390 were about copyrights, some 56 percent of the total.

Chinacourt.org

2. Shandong

Patent-collateralized loan

China Everbright Bank in Qingdao recently issued the city's first patent-collateralized loan with a 10 million yuan ($1.61 million) line of credit. The borrower is a local biotech startup involved in the research, production and sale of aquatic feed. A statement from the bank said the loan is the result of the company's huge market potential. It generated more than 110 million yuan in sales last year, 10 times the amount four years ago.

Qingdao Daily

3. Jiangsu

Exhibition for college students

A patent exhibition and trade fair for local college students will kick off on April 26 in the provincial capital Nanjing. Invention patents will be the main focus of the four-day exhibition that requires innovations to be practical and feasible for commercialization. The exhibition will also have areas for business consultation and negotiations, providing opportunities for college students to show their technical abilities to companies, according to the city's science and technology commission.

Njdaily.cn

4. Anhui

Patent app for mobile devices

The intellectual property office of Maanshan city recently developed patent information software for mobile devices, the first of its kind in the nation. The software can be installed on iPhone, iPad and Android devices, providing patent-related information on management, trusts and annual fees.

Wjol.net.cn

5. Hunan

Intellectual property training

The provincial intellectual property office recently held training programs to help local companies and international trade promotion councils avoid IP disputes when participating overseas exhibitions. The sessions attracted more than 150 representatives from foreign trade enterprises and councils and included courses about the latest IP development trends and case studies.

Hunan.gov.cn

6. Guangdong

Trademarks no longer 'famous'

The provincial industry and commerce authority last week took 142 trademarks off the list of Guangdong famous trademarks, the largest number cancelled in recent years. Officials explained that losing famous trademark status does not necessarily mean drop in product quality, as some were removed because the trademark owners did not reapply to retain the status and some because they have been transferred to another owner.

National Business Daily

(China Daily 04/03/2013 page17)