China moves ahead with Patents and Innovation

Posted on October 3, 2010 by Jeffrey Tobias in Innovation

So you think that China is behind in the innovation stakes? Think again. A recent article in The Economist indicates that more patents may be filed in China this year than in Japan for the first time, putting China in striking distance of America. Moreover, Chinese firms are forging into foreign markets. In 2008-09 Japanese geeks filed for 11% fewer “international patents” under the Patent Co-operation Treaty, while Chinese nerds filed 18% more, according to a recent report by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

I find this really interesting. Just two years ago a colleague spent significant time telling me how far behind China was in innovation, and how we would have to wait for the next generation to really drive innovation ahead.

Read the story here.