In the era of the knowledge economy, patents, as legal certifications of technological innovation, have become integral to technological protection, market competition, and policy support. Data from the National Intellectual Property Administration shows that in 2024, the number of domestic invention patents granted reached 1.045 million, a year-on-year increase of 13.5%. This significant growth reflects the deepening societal awareness of intellectual property protection. The realization of patent value relies on the uniqueness of its institutional design, and its role can be systematically analyzed from dimensions such as legal empowerment, construction of technical barriers, investment risk mitigation, and access to policy resources.
The patent system establishes technical defenses for innovative achievements through legal means, with its core lying in the establishment of exclusive rights. Article 11 of the Patent Law explicitly stipulates that unauthorized manufacturing, sales, or other acts constitute infringement. This institutional design fundamentally curbs the "free-riding" of technological achievements. Simultaneously, the patent system achieves the dual goals of technology dissemination and legal protection through the "disclosure in exchange for protection" mechanism. Article 26 of the Patent Law requires applicants to fully disclose technical details in exchange for exclusive rights. This institutional exchange not only promotes the circulation of technical information but also creates competitive technical thresholds in the market through legal means, constructing unique competitive firewalls for enterprises.
In the field of technological investment, the "first-to-file" principle of patents highlights their risk prevention value. According to Article 9 of the Patent Law, when two or more applicants file patents for the same invention, the patent right is granted to the first applicant. This rule requires innovators to adopt a forward-looking layout strategy, as any delay in filing may result in the technical solution entering the public domain or being preemptively registered by third parties. In practice, cases where original inventors face infringement liabilities due to untimely patent applications are not uncommon, often leading to production bans, substantial compensation, and irreversible impacts on corporate market positions.
Furthermore, patents serve as critical qualifications for obtaining policy support. By holding patents, enterprises can apply for certification as high-tech enterprises and enjoy tax reductions. High-tech enterprise certification requires a certain number of patents, and successful certification grants a preferential corporate income tax rate of 15%. Some regions offer up to 50% interest subsidy support for patent pledge loans (specific ratios and limits are subject to local regulations), which holds practical significance in alleviating financing challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises.
As global competition intensifies, the professionalism of patent portfolios directly impacts cross-border commercialization outcomes. Differences in national patent legal systems impose higher requirements for overseas protection of technological achievements. For instance, the claim drafting standards under the U.S. 35 USC and Japan’s stringent practicality review criteria demand precise adaptation. Cross-cultural compatibility of technical terminology cannot be overlooked, as professional translation services play a pivotal role in ensuring the rigor of claim descriptions and avoiding narrowed protection scopes due to semantic ambiguities.
In this context, the strategic value of international patents becomes even more prominent: global patent portfolios act not only as "passports" for technology exports but also as key pathways to participate in global technology governance. In recent years, China’s international patent applications filed via the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) have consistently ranked first globally, highlighting the trend of technological achievements radiating worldwide. The core value of international patents lies in: (1) establishing discourse power in technical standards through multinational patent pools; (2) enabling technology collaboration and licensing via patents; and (3) leveraging patent data to identify industry trends and provide strategic guidance for R&D directions. However, overseas patent strategies must precisely address legal disparities (e.g., formalistic claim examinations in the U.S.), linguistic risks (protection gaps caused by terminology ambiguities), and policy dynamics (e.g., export restrictions on critical technologies in certain countries). Only by transforming patents into "technology diplomacy" tools can the exponential release of innovative value be achieved in global competition.
About Glodom:
Glodom is a pioneering language technology solutions provider with over 300 dedicated employees and a global network of more than 5,000 native-speaking translation experts across 40+ countries, supporting over 200 languages. With extensive experience in the patent field, Glodom is committed to delivering end-to-end linguistic solutions for global innovators. Through the deep integration of proprietary AI translation technology and human review, Glodom builds linguistic moats for patent protection, empowering Chinese standards to reach the world.
