The 2004 China International Patent Fair will open next Wednesday in the port city of Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Sponsored by the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) and the Liaoning provincial government, the four-day fair will present more than 500 patents from over 20 countries, Dalian Vice Mayor Dai Yulin said at a press conference on Thursday.

Dai said most of the patent technologies and products are to be introduced from universities and research institutes. Some are supported by China's 863 Program, established by the central government to promote development of high technology.

"High-tech patents are vital to the country's drive to revitalize the northeast region's economy,”"Dai said.

Experts said the fair will provide an overview of patent development in the country since it is attracting many currently patented technologies and products.

The fair will also provide financial support and other services to those seeking partners to industrialize the patents, Dai said. Many owners of the 800,000 patents granted so far in China need assistance in converting their ideas into marketable products.

During the fair, an International Intellectual Property Protection Forum will also be held.

Experts in the field from around the world are expected to attend.

At the same time, a consulting service will be available to provide information and advice to those facing potential or pending patent disputes.

SIPO received 308,487 applications for patents in 2003, including 1,171 from abroad, an increase of 22 percent compared with the previous year. A total of 182,226 of those applications have been approved, up 37.6 percent from 2002.

Meanwhile, Chinese officials and experts urged Chinese exporters to be more attentive to intellectual property rights (IPR) protection. Some nations' stricter IPR standards could create problems for exports of Chinese high-tech products, which have increased rapidly in recent years.

Teng Fei, a senior researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council, pointed out that China had "faced an increasing number of technical barriers that concern IPR protection over the past few years."

The best way to solve the increasing number of IPR cases is to strengthen research and to develop China's IPR protection and patents, Teng said.

(China Daily August 13, 2004)