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The Intellectual Property Bureau in south China's Guangdong Province has granted 11,997 patents during the first half of the year, the highest in the country for the seventh year in succession.
Statistics from the bureau reveal that the number rose 18 percent over the same period last year, six percentage points above the average.
Guo Xiquan, head of the bureau, said that of the 1,535 applications for invention patents, some 46 percent were lodged by companies that had become more aware of patents as a result of fiercer market competition.
To date, at least 64 companies in Guangdong have achieved a competitive edge through the possession of patents.
"For most local businesses, intellectual property is not merely an intangible asset but also a powerful weapon to defend their economic interests," Guo said.
He said the Guangdong-based Meidi Group Company specializing in household appliances filed 291 patent applications last year and sales of its patented products made up more than 70 percent of total sales.
The province plans more specific measures to encourage local businesses to make more technical innovations.
(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2002)
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