The Lin-gang Special Area of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone – located in Shanghai city in East China – last year reportedly achieved fruitful results from its intellectual property, or IP, sector.

Last year, a total of 8,318 new patent applications were filed in Lin-gang and 4,644 patents were authorized. The number of PTC patent applications there – the Patent Cooperation Treaty is the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization's system of registering international patents – reached 197.

The number of newly registered trademarks in Lin-gang last year was 9,706 and the average number of newly registered trademarks was 1 for every 1.96 newly added business entities. In addition, the average number of effective registered trademarks was 3,976 for every 10,000 business entities.

Lin-gang is known to attach significant importance to its IP development.

The area signed a cooperative agreement with the Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration on Dec 17, to promote the expansion of the IP sector there.

Launched at the time, was the Lin-gang Special Area of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Intellectual Property Comprehensive Service Window and the China (Shanghai) Intellectual Property Rights Protection Assistance Center Lin-gang Special Area Sub-Center.