Intellectual property is an increasingly important part of improving China's core competitiveness and restructuring its economy, said Tian Lipu, commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office.

The commissioner's remarks were delivered in a video speech at the launch ceremony for IP Promotion Week on Friday, which has been scheduled to coincide with the upcoming World Intellectual Property Day on April 26.

IP protection in China has seen "unprecedented fast growth" despite the country's status as a relative latecomer in terms of building and implementing a working system, Tian said.

In 2012 alone, SIPO granted some 217,000 invention patents, raising the number of patents owned per 10,000 people in the country to 3.2 .

People and institutions filed 688,000 applications to have works copyrighted and registered 139,000 copyrights for computer software, both of which hit a record high for the country.

By the end of last year, China's accumulative trademark inventory had expanded to 6.4 million, enabling the country to hold on to its first-place position in the world.

SIPO has grown into the largest office worldwide for dealing with patents and industrial designs, and China's trade office also ranks first in the world, said World Intellectual Property Organization Director Francis Gurry.

"The next generation of creation is going to belong to China," Gurry said.

The role of intellectual property is to convert intellectual assets to productive or commercial ones, he continued.

In some Chinese metropolises, copyright-based industries have contributed more than 10 percent to GDP, Gurry noted, adding that they are "truly extraordinary achievements".

"It is our consistent motivation and goal of IP work to inspire and guarantee the passion and creativity of the public. That is the commitment of all IP sectors to realizing the nation's revitalization," Tian said.

To celebrate the World Intellectual Property Day and further raise awareness, SIPO and 24 other central government departments co-organized the annual weeklong campaign.

With the theme of "implementing IP strategy and supporting innovation-driven development", scores of events are scheduled for the week concurrently nationwide, including seminars, training, lectures and consultations.

Tian said he hopes that the events are not only a stage for IP professionals but also a platform for the public to focus on IP issues.

wangxin@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/24/2013 page17)