At the news conference for the fourth "China Patent Week" held this morning, Director Assistant of Guangdong Provincial Intellectual Property Office Ms. Han Xiaofei said, the amount of China's PCT application has lined up the fifth last year in the world, following the U.S., Japan, Germany and South Korea. The application amount of this year is expected to reach the fourth place and the exact figure will not be released until it is finally calculated.

　　Ms. Han Xiaofei said, to find themselves favorable position in international competition in the future, Chinese enterprises must grasp the key and core patent technologies and related intellectual properties. They should be forward-looking and make patent layout in potential international markets so as to gain competitive advantages. At present, more and more Chinese enterprises begin to submit international patent applications via PCT channel to seek patent protection in the international arena.

　　Since PCT application is high in cost and complicated in procedure, she suggested that enterprises choose qualified agents in the filing of the application – legally established patent agency can help handle the application or the procedures for entering the national phase. Also, before submitting PCT applications, enterprises should make in-depth assessment of their technologies to ensure the future success of the application.

　　                                                                  By IP Channel of People's Daily Online