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Sharp Rise Seen in Chinese Patents
Posted by
Zonk
on Sun Aug 12, 2007 04:34 AM
from the everyone-is-doing-it-so-why-can't-we dept.
from the everyone-is-doing-it-so-why-can't-we dept.
ianare writes "According to a report by the UN's intellectual property agency, the number of requests for patents in China grew by 33% in 2005 compared with the previous year. That gives it the world's third highest number behind Japan and the United States, the agency said. China's leaders have been urging companies to become more creative, and put more of their money into developing new technology. 'Made by China' rather than simply 'Made in China' will mean that the country's economic miracle stands a far better chance of lasting longer."
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Creativity == Patent? (Score:3, Informative)
I think we have seen enough "Creative Patenting" that are comparable to "Creative Accounting".
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Compare quality patents only (Score:2)
Using patents as a scoreboad are stupid though. I expect USA is over represented in http://www.patentlysilly.com/ [patentlysilly.com]. To use patents as a meaningful indicator needs better analysis than just raw numbers. Rather you need to look at the rate of patenting high quality (impoortant and non-duplicate) ideas.
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Surprised that the same strategy would be turned against its maker? As I recall the Chinese also invented gunpowder, fireworks, a complex alphabet, kung fu, and they had this funny short ugly guy called Sun Tzu in our language, who just happened to pretty m
Everyone in the West... (Score:3, Funny)
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And the Swiss? (Score:2)
chinese patents are increasing (Score:3, Funny)
'No way, man. Someone is just messing with you!'
'I swear it is true, you just find something that isn't yet patented, like breathing or clicking on a triangle instead of a box, then get a patent on that, then sue everybody'
'Bullcrap!'
'Ok, I will patent something myself. That will show you.'
Sucks to be western. (Score:3, Interesting)
You're forgetting that a lot of these patents are (Score:2)
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One reason for the shift to IP instead of production could quite simply be because China is currently quite busily polluting itself to death. As the level of toxic elements rises in the environment it will be interesting to see what future chemical chain r
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The pollution has to do with how China implemented globalization. They forsake the environment in order to catch up with the rest of the major powers. I guess they're leveraging the land in that tech will fix it later.
Now maybe they will start to respect IP Law (Score:2, Interesting)
Up until now, for all those cheap chinese knock-offs and blatant copies of other companies work, disregarding IP Law in China was actually useful, but with own patents and ideas, I would guess that chinese companies will be enforcing IP Law more strictly in the future because now disregard
Don't say IP. Say copr., patent, TM, or secret. (Score:2)
at some point they will really have to enforce some sort of IP Law to protect their own innovations and interests.
By "IP law", do you mean "copyright law", "patent law", "trademark law", or "trade secret law"? The exclusive rights under these four legal traditions have different purposes, different scopes, and different durations. Painting them all with the broad stroke of "intellectual property" confuses the issue more than it helps anyone [fsf.org].
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Monopoly law is always useful for those holding the monopolies. They can get revenue without having to produce a competetive product or service to obtain that revenue.
China realizes this as well as the rest of the WIPO crowd; once you've built up your fortune, the free market will keep chipping away at it unless you either remain competetive or prevent competition. As remaining competetive is hard work, it's much easier to simply create monopoly vehicles to invest in.
I doubt it
We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us (Score:3, Interesting)
Or am I the only one who worries about another patent-grabbing, carbon-swilling, profit-hungry, consumer-driven super-economy on the planet, this one with a billion jean-wearing, Starbucks-guzzling, Wal-Mart-shopping para-Americans?
You can bet that the Western Paul Wolfowitz, IMF-types are trying to figure out a way to put that genie back in the bottle. After all, they may say that global warming is a myth or "not affected by human activity" but that's only for public consumption. When they're sitting around their Emperor of Earth Gentleman's Club, you best believe they know better.
"But first" they say, "we have to get those damn Chinese to buy into the intellectual property thing. Otherwise our whole house of cards comes down. Now pass me some-a them quail hearts, son. The donkey show starts in a few minutes."
Reply:We Have Met t and He Is Wai Funny (Score:2)
May the gods bless EU, US, and one and all with more plutocratic exploit corporatism.
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A person reasonably up to date with respect to current events would know that it was recently determined (by people who are in a position to decide WTF an "IMF-type" is) that Mr. Wolfowitz is decidedly not one of them.
Conspiracy theorists or those in the habit of carrying placards and/or smashing windows in advocacy of certain social causes may hold a different view, of course.
This is good for the US (Score:2)
Level the playing field? (Score:2, Informative)
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China's Miracle? (Score:4, Insightful)
China will find the same problem that the west has - everyone want's to be upper (or middle) class eventually. Very few in China are reaping the benfits of the changes, and many are happy just to make a better living than they had before. Eventually, thier children - or children's children - will want far more, and will expect more. A growing middle class will not put up with the destruction of their natural environment and unsafe (or "unfair" - definine it as you wish) working conditions. Pressure will be placed on the govenerment from many sides, and the government will start changing things.
It is simply a matter of time before things change. There are still places where manufacturing is cheap in the US. There are places in the US where $50k can provide a pleasant lifestyle for a family, and $80-90k is the local upper class. And some of those places are pretty darned nice places to live. Some may think those numbers are high, and those of you in the major metro areas will wonder how anyone can afford groceries on such an income. (Hint: in the next town over from me, there are new, 2000SF houses on a acre of land selling for under $100/sf, and taxes are under 1% of the value) As the middle class increases in China, the same wage pressures will occur, and - if they ever de-link their currency - it's going to result in the cost of goods from China increasing at a dramatic rate.
There will be more IP based production - it's the hallmark of modern civilization. Interestingly, I think we will find globalization retreat a bit in the next 50 years. As the cost of production increases in low-wage markets, transportation costs will shift marginal items back to a local advantage. This may become accellerated by the increasing cost for fuel (which, imho, is artificially inflated by the speculation markets...but that's another show). It will not put things back to the 1960s or 70s, but a new dynamic balance will form.
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What we are seeing are not natural market forces at work. China's economic "m
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"When I dealing with a foreign company I'll choose one from Europe, thank you very much. You can do business with them ... they understand that good business means everyone walks away from the table with something.
Yes, like the folks who funded a slave driven diamond industry in Africa?
Or like the vulture funds in the US that work towards depriving basic necessities such as education [democracynow.org] in third world countries?
Or those that go around supporting the murder [wikipedia.org] of union leaders in Colombia.
Or those that decide that it's OK to make water unaffordable [wikipedia.org] for the folks in Bolivia.
Or those that fund [wikipedia.org] a terrorist group so that they can earn a larger profit?
Oh - I'm sorry. These guys just aren't guilty of being Chinese. Everything is
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It's no secret that some of the gulf states (UAE comes to mind) are taking the phenominal oil revenues they are generating and putting
Oh, so *now* they care about patents? (Score:3, Insightful)
Knowing China's penchant for taking shortcuts, I'd double-check every one of those patents against existing registries.
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I was designing a hardware device and started to investigate what it would take to have it built in china. I got some ideas on the cost of plastic molding and the circuit layout and I started to shop around for partners in china.
then it dawned on me - I would be doing all the design work and paying for the prototypes and mold for the plastic boxes; and guess what - there is NO assurance that all my hard work would be respected and th
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doh!
(hmmm, freudian?)
'Stolen By China' More likely (Score:3, Informative)
it's not a miracle (Score:5, Insightful)
I suppose it was a "miracle" when we used slaves here in the US to do farming, build railroads, etc?
They have 1/5 the total world population...current estimate: 1,321,851,888.
Japan has 127,433,494 people.
And the US? 301,139,947.
China has more than 3 times the population of Japan and the US combined.
Further, China is taking the cheapest route on everything, and is suffering for it. The air quality there is horrendous, the water isn't drinkable - hell, we'll need to worry about them invading someone soon just so they can find someplace to be able to breathe. Cutting corners, doing no pollution control, no sanitation efforts...yeah, of course you can make extra $$ that way. At what cost, though.
The only miraculous thing here is that they are doing so poorly despite these and other things massively in their favor.
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Now, what I really don't get is why everyone seems is so concerned with China becoming a wealthy country... Shouldn't the fact that 1/5 of the world population lives there make it a good thi
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WTF?! Seriously, if I had some safety goggles, I would have ran off the bus and handed them out. I mean, either these men are ignorant, or simply don't care about personal safety.
Boggles the mind!
My rights? (Score:2)
With SCO largely gone... (Score:2)
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Re:I wonder if... (Score:4, Insightful)
Sure, China might take a hit on their huge USD reserves, but in the mean while, they have built hundreds of factories, infrastructure and acquired real skills and real wealth. McDonalds recently announced [google.com] a 30% pay raise for its employees in China. When was the last time that happened in the US?
They are also gaining political influence in countries with rich natural resources, such as in Africa and the Middle East. That influence would remain long after the dollar loses its reserve currency status. Their stockpile of dollars is also being used to threaten [telegraph.co.uk] the US itself.
Parent
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How China is "competitive" on the global market (Score:3, Informative)
2) Allow children to make toxic toys for Americans
3) No minimum hours per week, no overtime
4) IP theft
5) Lax environmental regulations
But most of all, at least relating to America's 850 billion dollar trade deficit (as of 2007), is the fact that China artificially lowers [npr.org] the Yaun [senate.gov] to appear more competitive on the global market. This practice alone has decimated U.S. manufacturing sector and is why we have a nearly 1 trillion dollar trade deficit - with no end in
Lax Environmental Regulations (Score:2)
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Why is this always seen as a threat? (Score:3, Insightful)
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No, but strong IP law is a negative. And once China gets seriously into the game, they'll push for even stronger laws that will have the ultimate effect of suppressing innovation as is happening in the the US and Europe. Only the big corporations will benefit. Now is the time to show them and everybody else that copyrights and patents do more harm than good.
Re:Why is this always seen as a threat? (Score:4, Informative)
Do you think any African country has even the slightest chance against us or eu companies and the effect they have on regulations in general?
Parent
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China somehow has managed to break through our protections (and we shouldn't whine if they're going to protect their markets, because that's exactly what we did too).
The other side of the coin is that African (and South-American countries aswell) produce a lot of goods, but we're protecting our markets so they don't get any opportunity to sell their products for a fair price.
But a
Because it *is* a threat, and we can contain it. (Score:2)
In terms of quality, it's only gone downward if you don't hail from Wall Street. Quite hollow of a positive unless you're wishing to recreate the Gilded Age.
Innovation isn't a zero sum game and the more creative people working in integrated and "open" economies the better.
Innovation has yet to happen over there. It only is a haven for those who want to escape business regulation - re
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If you really need it spelled out:
Rest of World = Non G8 (USSR did invest in research)
Contribute = Investing capital into Research and Development and hence innovation.
Clearly ancient civilizations (China, India, etc.) have contributed significantly to human knowledge in the past, but post-colonial/post-WW2 these societies have not (for many r
Bah! Just get your own patents! (Score:2)