Shenzhen Satellite TV:
Last year, patent application cases in Shenzhen reached 228,600, or approximately 90 patented inventions per 10,000 people on average, nearly 10 times the number of the national average. Additionally, the city has taken the lead among mid- and large-sized cities in the number of applications for the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) for 15 years in a row. At the same time, the "Regulations on IP Protection in Shenzhen Special Economic Zone" is the first comprehensive set of regulations for IP protection in the country. An IP tribunal was also established in the city's Qianhai area. Mr. Shen, how would you evaluate the city's achievements in patent application and IP protection? What's your opinion of the "Shenzhen phenomenon"? Thank you.
Shen Changyu:
Thanks for your questions. During the past few years, Shenzhen has indeed made notable progresses in creating, protecting, using and managing IP rights, particularly with its leading role in the number of PCT applications.
In my view, those achievements should be attributed to the strong creativity of the city, and local innovative entities are important driving forces. Secondly, they should be attributed to the intensive local awareness of IP protection, in support of which a slew of measures have been adopted there. More to the point, awareness of IP rights is strong in Shenzhen. Those factors combined have fueled the rapid development of local IP businesses.
As you said, the number of patent applications, especially those for the PCT in Shenzhen, has continued to boom, which is probably caused by local enterprises' international strategies for global business. Meanwhile, many local companies have developed well in the global market. They have paid substantial attention to international patent applications, which is highly relevant to corporate operations,.
We hope the city can make more progress in regards to IP operation. Shenzhen is a model city in this particular sector country-wide, a competitive place for the IP industry and a pilot zone for experimental IP projects. We'll increasingly support it in its endeavors in IP development. Thank you.
