Although China became the world's leading patent filer in 2011, patent quality is still a serious issue in the country. This article first provides a statistical snapshot of this situation and then discusses how China's network of patent-related policies and practices in certain cases actually...

While patent filings in China have been exploding in recent years, analysis based on a variety of metrics shows that this increase has not necessarily translated into a ‘proportionate’ rise in patent quality. Further, based on projections quantifying “highest quality” patents in China,...

This paper uncovers over 10 central level and over 150 provincial/municipal level patent targets, mostly to be met by 2015, within a wide range of Chinese policy documents. The analysis suggests there are weaknesses in certain targets due to the absence of important criteria for ensuring patent...