On the walls of the 300-square-meter intellectual property office at the Xi'an High-Tech Industries Development Zone hang the guidelines on how to apply for patents, trademarks and copyrights.

People don't have to wait long to do IP-related business, whether it's applications, consultation or to pay fees.

Founded in 2006, the office was the first in the country to provide one-stop services with a patent agency under the State Intellectual Property Office, a trademark agency and a provincial IP service and legal aid center.

It is also home to an operation established in 2003 by the Copyright Protection Center of China, the first of its kind nationwide and still the only one in western China. The center mainly provides convenient computer software copyright registration for local companies.

In January the zone was listed as a national demonstration zone for IP services.

"Technical innovation and intellectual property rights are the focus of Xi'an High-Tech Industries Development Zone," said Huang Haidong, director of the IP office.

By the end of last year, companies and organizations in the zone had applied for 150,000 individual IP rights. In the past three years, the number of applications has increased 45 percent annually, Huang said.

By 2015, more than 50,000, applications are expected to be filed annually, making the zone the most IP-intensive area in Northwest China, said local officials.

"There has not only been an increase in numbers, but also in quality in recent years," Huang said. "By introducing preferential policies and projects, we are trying to build the IP work system that a world-class high-tech zone should have."

They have established an efficient quick-response system to deal with applications, complaints and rights protection. To date it has dealt with 21 protection cases including six on patents and 15 involving copyrights. Two were passed on to police for further investigation or action.

The high-tech zone also has an early warning mechanism that raises questions concerning possible IP conflicts and suggests potential solutions.

In 2003 the zone's administrative committee established a specialized fund for IP work. By the end of last September, the fund had given 168 million yuan ($26.9 million) to more than 2,000 companies in the zone, officials said.

It also released several regulations to encourage companies to innovate.

The good environment has helped many companies in the zone develop faster, officials said.

Founded in 2007, Focuslight is a fast growing high-tech company involved in the R&D and manufacturing of high-power diode lasers.

Headquartered in Xi'an, Focuslight provides both designs and products worldwide.

Of the 197 patents it has applied for to date, 97 have been authorized, including 16 invention patents. It also has drafted two national standards in laser equipment.

It now produce hundreds of patented products exported overseas to more than 20 countries and regions including the United States, Japan and the European Union.

It has won the status of famous trademark of Shaanxi province and filed trademark applications in the US, Canada, Israel, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and Italy.

Another example is Iwncomm Co established in September 2000 that provides online security.

With 600 patent applications, it is one of China's 35 pilot patent companies and among the country's 127 intellectual property rights demonstration companies.

[email protected]

(China Daily 07/30/2014 page17)