China's Intellectual Property Office and the European Patent Office are fully committed to providing support for those affected by New Coronavirus pneumonia.
On the basis of more than 30 years of solid bilateral cooperation, the State Intellectual Property Office of China and the European Patent Office have established a comprehensive strategic partnership. Both sides are committed to improving patent quality and coordinating patent system. The friendly relationship between China and the EU is also reflected in the growing number of patent applications accepted by the two bureaux. In 2019, the number of invention patent applications in China from the member states of the European Patent Organization was 42000, an increase of 4.9% over the previous year, and the number of applications from China accepted by the European Patent Office increased by about 30% over the previous year.
As novel coronavirus pneumonia has more and more significant economic impact, we need more protection than ever. Intellectual property intensive industries play a fundamental role in supporting the economy. In 2018, the added value of China's patent intensive industries reached 10.7 trillion yuan, accounting for 11.6% of GDP, which has become an important support for China's high-quality economic development. Similarly, IP intensive industries create 39% of employment opportunities in the EU, accounting for 45% of GDP. These industries will play an important role in the future global economic recovery.
The State Intellectual Property Office of China and the European Patent Office have taken a number of measures to ensure that global users can obtain high-quality patent protection in China and Europe. Specifically, the State Intellectual Property Office of China has taken measures such as recovering rights, reducing the submission of proof materials, and not producing annual patent fees to pay late fees. The European Patent Office has provided greater flexibility for users by extending the time limit and payment period, and holding oral trials in the form of video conference. These initiatives provide users with full support.
China's State Intellectual Property Office and the European Patent Office will continue to support the fight against the epidemic by enriching public patent databases and providing patent information resources. For those who play an active role in the fight against the epidemic, such as research institutions and universities, these information resources are very important. The patent literature provided by the two bureaus is the key to the research. Scientists can use it to consult the patent database and continuously focus on and develop the most advanced technologies. The patent retrieval and analysis system of the State Intellectual Property Office of China provides rich retrieval and research functions such as drug subject retrieval and patent analysis. The Espacenet public database of the European Patent Office contains more than 110 million global patent documents.
In the current difficult period of the global spread of New Coronavirus pneumonia, China's State Intellectual Property Office and the European Patent Office have been working together to provide support for users on the basis of long-term, friendly and active cooperation between the two sides. Novel coronavirus pneumonia and epidemics will be jointly supported by the two sides.

Shen Changyu
Director of the State Intellectual Property Office of China
Antonio camponos
Director of the European Patent Office
(Intellectual Property News)