Status Updates on Cross-Strait Patent and Trademark Applications

2011-03-15

Cross-strait economic activities have grown rapidly, especially after the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) was signed last year. Intellectual property rights (IPRs) have become the most important stimulus to facilitate business development. In 2010, the number of patent or trademark applications has both increased in Taiwan and Mainland China, indicating the importance of cross-strait IPR development. Business opportunities and challenges accompanying such development should not be ignored.

1In 2010, the number of patent applications filed in Mainland China by a Taiwanese entity is 22,419 applications, which grows 6.10% when compared with 21, 113 applications filed in 2009. The number of patent applications filed in Taiwan by a Chinese entity is 755 applications, which grows 8.79% when compared with 694 applications filed in 2009. (Please refer to Table 1) Based on the data above, the number of cross-strait patent applications has increased steadily with the exception of the number in 2009, which dropped significantly due to the financial crisis, but rebounded quickly in 2010.

In 2010, the number of trademark applications filed in Mainland China by a Taiwanese entity is 10,767 applications, which grows 0.85% when compared with 10,676 applications filed in 2009. (Please refer to Table 2). In the same year, the number of trademark applications filed in Taiwan by a Chinese entity is 1,603 applications, which grows 35.16% when compared with 1,186 applications filed in 2009. Based on the data above, the number of cross-strait trademark applications has also increased steadily.

The importance of IPR has increased dramatically in the global economic system. It is also an important means to obtain competitive advantages against others in the industries. Mainland China has rapidly evolved to the largest Chinese market and the global factory in recent years, and thus enterprises around the globe have set up their presence there. Since Taiwan and Mainland China share the same culture and cross-strait interactions have become more frequent, the number of patent and trademark applications filed in Taiwan and China has increased year over year.

The number of patent and trademark applications filed in China by a Taiwanese entity is trending upward, and such number is greatly above that filed in Taiwan by a Chinese entity. Such trend not only shows the importance of IPR to the Taiwanese entities but also the proactive steps to establish a presence in China by the Taiwanese entities.

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