Chinese enterprises apply for international industrial design patents

BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese enterprises are actively applying for the international registration of industrial designs, the country's top intellectual property regulator said Monday.

A total of 49 Chinese enterprises submitted 108 international applications for industrial designs on May 5, the first day the Hague Agreement came into effect in China, according to data released by the National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA) at a press conference.

The Hague Agreement for the international registration of industrial designs is a mechanism aimed at intellectual property protection to help contracting parties enjoy worldwide protection for their industrial design.

The NIPA received 58 such applications on that day, with the number of applications from computer manufacturer Lenovo, healthcare tech company GEMT, and smartphone maker Xiaomi, topping the list, said Wei Baozhi, an official with the NIPA.

Chinese enterprises are continuously using the Hague system to develop their layout in international product market, with the number of submitted international applications for designs totaling 141 from May 5 to 13, Wei said.

He noted that China's entry into the Hague system shows its openness to participating in the global IP governance system and provides convenience for overseas enterprises to enter China's dynamic and broad market.