A one-stop intellectual property bureau that will handle all of mainland China's legal concerns about brands, patents and copyright was inaugurated on Sunday in the Pudong New Area.
According to Chinese officials, the creation of the Pudong Intellectual Property Bureau can provide a more convenient and simpler manner of handling legal issues regarding the three areas, citing it as a major breakthrough in the intellectual property field in the country.
As compared to the past where issues are managed by different agencies, the newly established bureau seeks to more efficiently handle concerns about patents, trademarks and copyright administration.
"The administration of those three areas used to be the responsibility of different authorities, such as those relating to industry and commerce, market supervision and science. Now these will all be handled by the bureau," explained an intellectual property official identified as Ye.
According to Xinhua News Agency, Ye cited that companies, especially those involved in the electronics industry, will be dealt with by the intellectual property bureau when it comes to their researches and developmental programs.
Upon its official launch on Jan. 1, 2015, the Pudong Intellectual Property Bureau, the first independent intellectual property office in the country, will be processing all IP concerns throughout Shanghai.
Reports revealed that invention patent applications have increased by 2.4 percent from last year at nearly 28,000 recorded applications between January and September 2014.
According to latest records, 8,557 of these applications were approved, 1.9 percent more than that of 2013 during the same period.
Patents involving new inventions account for about 48 percent of all intellectual property applications, tailed by utility patents involving items for daily use at 41 percent, while design patents turn up last at 11 percent.
Officials also revealed that an intellectual property court will be established in Shanghai soon.