Pioneering role in intellectual property protection

Suzhou Industry Park (SIP) is making headway with the construction of a national pilot zone for intellectual property protection. Companies are expected to attach greater importance to IP protection and management.

Shangrong Technology Co Ltd, a global-oriented company specializing in the development, manufacturing and marketing of sugar-related products, was founded in 2007 and opened an R&D center two years afterwards.

The company has already applied for 138 patents, while it plans to apply for another 400 patents and trademarks in the next three years.

According to its ambitious long-term plan, the number could reach 1,000.

Over the past two years, the company formed a series of systems of trademarks and copyright management and protection that organized numerous IP training programs, which involves more than 95 percent of its employees.

The company was honored as an excellent company in IP creation in 2009 and a key company in IP protection in 2010 by the intellectual property office of SIP.

Suzhou Touchstone International Medical Science Co Ltd, a high-tech enterprise focusing on R&D and manufacturing of single-use surgical devices, maintains a specialized IP management division led by the company's general manager.

The company, founded in 2003, had applied for 589 patents by the end of last November, including 245 for invention patents, 288 for utility models and 56 for designs. More than 350 patents were granted, including 31 inventions, 270 utility models and 50 designs. Seven patents were granted from overseas.

One of the flagship products of the company is a suturing device used for surgeries, which was patented in the United States, Japan and Germany, and received much fanfare from overseas markets. The device earned recognition for its safety and reliability, while reducing costs.

Touchstone hired Nanjing Suke Patent and Trademark Agent Co Ltd as consultants to formulate IP-related regulations. The company encourages more inventions by rewarding favorable policies for its employees.

It utilizes professional software in patent management and building a patent database, since that can help analyze the market and technology trends.

Experts visit the company at least twice a year to hold IP knowledge promotional activities. New employees must participate in IP training courses.

The Suzhou-based multinational company, Positec Electric Power Co Ltd, specializing in electric tools development, manufacturing and marketing, considers innovation as the core of its corporate culture.

The company has been improving its IP management and protection systems in the past decade. In 2010, it invested nearly 7 million yuan (US$1.1 million) in patent development, accounting for 9 percent of total R&D investment for the year.

It has applied for more than 2,200 patents worldwide, including 956 invention patents, 1,458 of which have been granted, with 216 inventions. It filed approximately 150 invention patent applications in China last year. This number is expected to increase to 300 in 2011.