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In line with government plans to boost China’s intellectual property sector over the next five years, the number and quality of the country’s patent agents has been earmarked for a major upgrade. Under the terms of the State Intellectual Property Office’s newly-released 13th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Patent Agency Industry, there will be 60,000 properly-qualified patent agents in the country by 2020, as compared to the 27,000 registered as of the end of 2015. More

Revised Guidelines for Patent Examination have now been issued by the State Intellectual Property Office. These new regulations have been designed to both boost China’s bid to develop a more innovation-driven economy and to bring the country’s patent approval system into closer alignment with international norms. More

A survey of 948 participants at the “In Style Hong Kong” Symposium held in Bangkok, Thailand, reveals the strong intention of ASEAN companies to internationalise over the next three years. Hong Kong is named as the preferred place to seek out business partners and agents, and to acquire various business services. More