Scientific research results are difficult to translate into patents

The reporter learned from the Intellectual Property Office of Qinghai Province that many scientific research achievements in Qinghai Province are difficult to be converted into patents, which in turn lead to productivity. The number of patents owned by the province ranks second in the country. At present, this situation has become a major obstacle to economic development in Qinghai.
According to reports, among the 1,200 patents currently owned by Qinghai Province, more than 70% are utility models, 17% are design patents, and only 9% are true invention-creation patents. In 2004, there were patents in the top 50 companies in Qinghai. Only a few production-oriented enterprises, such as chemicals, machinery, and alcohol, are involved in technology. Even some companies that have patent intellectual property rights suffer from problems such as discontinuation of patented technologies and therefore lack competitiveness in the market.
According to a survey conducted by the Intellectual Property Office of Qinghai Province, large and medium-sized enterprises, research institutes, and universities in Qinghai Province have scientific and technological achievements in almost every unit, but there are few patents. Of the 124 patent applications accepted in 2004, 29 were for enterprises, and universities and research institutes only applied for 12 items. Some scientific and technological units have 70 or 80 scientific and technological achievements each year, and even more, but they do not have one patent. There are many reasons for this situation. Over the years, job title assessment, job promotion, bonus distribution and other aspects have been directly linked to the awards and results appraisal of the thesis. The application of a patent not only has to pay a cost, but more importantly, the transformation of the patent under the current system and the fight against infringement are more difficult, and the patent implementation often brings about high costs and low returns to the patentee. Therefore, for a long time, after research and development of an achievement, researchers only paid attention to the publication of articles, the identification of results, and the application for awards, while ignoring the ownership of patents. Among the 15 scientific and technological achievements honored by Qinghai Province in 2003, only 3 patents were declared; of the 15 scientific and technological achievements that were honored by Qinghai Province in 2004, only one received national patents.
The low investment in intellectual property funds and the lack of sources of independent intellectual property innovation have become a major obstacle to the economic development of Qinghai Province. At present, the issue of insufficient original capacity is increasingly prominent, with few invention patents and low levels of innovation. From 1989 to the present, Qinghai Province has received more than 1,200 patents, which is equivalent to the number of applications of well-known foreign companies for two years, and many patents in Qinghai Province are automatically abandoned because they cannot afford them.
According to another understanding, at present, most provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China have established intellectual property funds for the development and protection of intellectual property rights. However, Qinghai Province still has no fund setup in this area. Many patents still have embarrassing situations that cannot be raised because of funding issues. (Finish)