China tops U.S, Japan to become top patent filer

(Reuters) - China became the world's top patent filer in 2011, surpassing the United States and Japan as it steps up innovation to improve its intellectual property rights track record, a Thomson Reuters research report showed on Wednesday.

The report said the world's second-largest economy aimed to transform from a "made in China" to a "designed in China" market, with the government pushing for innovation in sectors such as automobiles, pharmaceuticals and technology.

However, legal experts said China would need to do more before it can lead the world in innovation as the quality of patents needed to improve, according to a report in Reuters.

The government provided attractive incentives for companies in China to file patent applications, regardless of whether a patent was eventually granted, they said.  >>More here

SOURCE: reuters.com

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