On April 20, the Office of the Leading Group of Intellectual Property Rights Work in Fujian Province released a white paper - The State of Intellectual Property Development and Protection in Fujian Province in 2021. From four aspects, namely, promoting the high-quality creation of intellectual property, improving the general protection pattern of intellectual property rights, enhancing the efficiency of comprehensive use of intellectual property, and optimizing the public service system of intellectual property, the paper summarizes the practice and effectiveness of the province's intellectual property development and protection in 2021, with a full text of about 8,000 words.

In terms of promoting the high-quality creation of intellectual property, the white paper points out that the work of intellectual property rights in Fujian is considered and planned in the context of the development of the whole country and the whole province. The Implementation Plan for the Implementation of the Outline for Building an Intellectual Property Powerhouse in Fujian Province and the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Protection and Use of Intellectual Property Rights in Fujian Province have been formulated, and efforts have been made to build an intellectual property rights system that can adapt to the modern economic system. 

The province granted 153,814 patents, a year-on-year increase of 5.4%, including 12,561 invention patents, up by 22.55% year on year. By the end of December 2021, the province had a total of 62,156 valid invention patents in stock, an increase of 22.46% year on year. The prize for the Fujian Provincial Patent Award was significantly increased, with the Grand Prize raised to 1 million yuan.

The province filed 500,458 new trademark applications and added 446,895 registered trademarks, with the cumulative number of valid registered trademarks reaching 1,989,159. Fifty-one new trademarks with geographical indications were registered. The total number of valid registered trademarks ranked seventh in China, the number of valid registered trademarks with geographical indications ranked second in China, the number of well-known trademarks for geographical indications was the first in China, and the number of enterprises using special marks with geographical indications ranked first in China.

The province registered more than 176,800 copyrighted works, an increase of 7.9% year on year, continuing to take the lead in the country. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs granted 127 new plant variety rights to the province, up by 95% year on year. 91 varieties of flowers and forest trees were granted national new plant variety rights.

In terms of improving the general protection pattern of intellectual property rights, the white paper points out that, with the strong support of the provincial CPC committee and the provincial government, the province will accelerate the construction of a three-level intellectual property protection center system at provincial, municipal and national levels. There are now five national IPR protection centers and rapid rights protection centers, and six provincial IPR operation and protection centers.

We have promoted the organic connection between administrative enforcement and judicial protection, and organized special enforcement and protection campaigns such as "Sword Net", "Autumn Wind" and "Kunlun" to effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of IP rights holders and consumers. 

The province handled a total of 16,132 cases of administrative enforcement concerning patents, 2,283 cases of trademark infringement, 66 cases of copyright infringement, 126 cases of infringement and piracy of all kinds, and 944 criminal cases involving intellectual property rights. A total of 21,270 cases concerning various intellectual property rights were handled in the province's courts, with 18,571 cases concluded. Fuzhou Customs took a total of 3,515 series of intellectual property protection measures; Xiamen Customs seized 1,025 series of suspected infringement cases in and out of the country throughout the year.

In terms of enhancing the effectiveness of the comprehensive use of intellectual property rights, the white paper points out that the provincial CPC committee and the provincial government have been vigorously developing the digital economy, marine economy, green economy, and culture and tourism economy, implementing the "Pilot Program" to enhance the competitiveness of independent intellectual property rights in industries, conducting major core high-value patent cultivation and layout, and strengthening the creation and reserve of independent intellectual property rights in key areas. Fujian supported the construction of 11 industrial intellectual property alliances such as that in marine and fishery equipment, and 19 units were included in the Patent Navigation Service Bases of Fujian Province in 2021.

We have been enhancing the ability of IPR finance to serve the real economy, with the annual IPR pledge amounting to 7.856 billion yuan. The total amount of intellectual property pledges registered in the province exceeded 40 billion yuan. A total of 16,320 technical contracts were registered throughout the year, with a turnover of 21.44 billion yuan.

In terms of optimizing the public service system of intellectual property, the white paper points out that Fujian will deepen the implementation of the innovative paradigm of "one travel at most" IPR public services first created in China. By enhancing the intelligent application of the "Zhichuang China" online platform and promoting the extension and sharing of the "Zhichuang Fujian" offline platform to the municipalities and Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone, we can let the fruits of innovation better benefit the people. We will actively promote the construction of a cross-regional IPR remote litigation platform, and realize the in-depth integration of information technology construction and IPR trials. A "one database, three platforms" international commercial dispute resolution mechanism will be established, and the protection of overseas intellectual property rights of enterprises will be strengthened. We will actively integrate and serve the construction of the "Belt and Road Initiative" and the Core Area of the Maritime Silk Road, and open a new chapter of judicial exchanges and cooperation among the BRI countries.