Chinese firms boost share of international patents

Patents filed by Chinese companies rose 29.7% last year as the global economic crisis saw total international patent filings fall by 4.5%, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). China was the source of 7,946 international applications, trailing only the US, Japan, Germany and South Korea. The US managed to keep top spot even though filings were down 11.4% on 2008 at 45,790. Chinese telecom equipment producer Huawei, which was the leading patent applicant among companies in 2008, had to settle for second place in 2009 with 1,847 filings to Panasonic’s 1,891. Last week China’s State Intellectual Property Office said it issued more than 580,000 patents in 2009, up 41% year-on-year. However, foreign firms remain concerned about the implications of China’s new Patent Law, Implementation guidelines for the law went into effect last Monday, but critics say the rules are unclear and potentially discriminate against overseas players.