Chongqing—Southwest China's Chongqing recorded 528 international Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications in 2023, marking a 17.07% increase from the previous year, according to a press conference on April 25.

The PCT makes it possible to seek patent protection for an invention simultaneously in each of a large number of countries by filing an "international" patent application. Such an application may be filed by anyone who is a national or resident of a PCT Contracting State. 

In 2023, Chongqing granted 54,100 patents, comprising 13,600 invention patents, 34,100 utility model patents, and 6,400 design patents. Notably, the rate of invention patents per 10,000 people increased by 23.79% from 2022 to 19.98, and high-value invention patents per 10,000 people surged by 30.47% to 7.15.

The press conference emphasized that effective management of copyright creation, protection, and services is crucial for strengthening China's intellectual property rights, fostering high-quality development, and enhancing quality of life.

In Chongqing, efforts to develop a robust copyright industry ecosystem include the establishment of the Chongqing Jinshan E-cool, a national copyright demonstration park. This park is a hub for copyright creation institutions and businesses, promoting artistic creation, enterprise operation, and industry services.

Last year, a modern art warehouse in the park introduced mystery boxes featuring designs based on copyrighted sculpture artwork. Priced at 79 yuan each, these boxes rapidly gained popularity in the consumer market, generating over 30 million yuan in revenue within the year.

Through these initiatives, Chongqing is making artistic works accessible to ordinary people, integrating art into everyday life.

Another company in the park has secured the copyright for online literature through factor trading and subsequently developed a diverse range of products, including audio series, cultural merchandise, online dramas, and video games. The strategic expansion propelled the company to reach one billion yuan in annual revenues, leading in the industry.

Recently, Chongqing received approval from the China National Intellectual Property Administration to establish a national intellectual property protection center. This center, once operational, will offer swift, integrated protection of intellectual property rights through expedited reviews, rapid confirmation of rights, and quick enforcement, particularly for the city's burgeoning information technology and biotech sectors.

The new center will significantly reduce patent review times across related industries. In particular, the review period for invention patents will decrease from an average of 16 months to less than six months, utility model patents from 8 months to 2 months, and design patents from 6 months to under one month.