The Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration holds an online meeting to mark the 22nd World Intellectual Property Day. [Photo/WeChat account: Shanghai_IPA]

The Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration – based in Shanghai city in East China – on April 25 conducted an online meeting, to mark the 22nd World Intellectual Property Day which was observed the following day.

The meeting was the climax of Shanghai Intellectual Property Publicity Week which kicked off on April 20.

Rui Wenbiao, director general of the administration, told the meeting that despite the COVID-19 situation in Shanghai, the city's intellectual property or IP departments at all levels had nonetheless managed to stage a number of effective IP publicity activities using less conventional and imaginative methods, creating a favorable IP protection atmosphere.

He pointed out that amid the outbreak, the administration had implemented supportive policies and measures that prioritized COVID-related patent and trademark reviews, identified and supported high-value patents, expedited IP pledge financing and provided IP services to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Rui also stressed that the administration would crack down on violations of COVID-related IP, involving epidemic prevention materials and supplements.

During the online meeting, 11 internet enterprises – including Pingduoduo and Bilibili – launched a joint initiative to respect knowledge, encourage innovation, be honest and law-abiding and promote fair competition. 

In 2021, the number of high-value invention patents in Shanghai reached 34.2 per 10,000 people. The number of patents granted was 179,300, up 28.29 percent year-on-year, of which 32,900 were invention patents and the number of new trademark registrations reached 421,000, up 36.95 percent.

What's more, there were 345,600 copyrights registered in Shanghai last year, up 8.4 percent on the previous year.