First patent holder says China's now an IP power

BEIJING－Thirty-six years ago, Hu Guohua lined up overnight outside China's patent office to apply for a patent. The next day, April 1,1985, China's Patent Law came into effect, and the office received more than 3,400 applications.

Eight months later, Hu received a patent certificate. Newspapers splashed photos of the bespectacled engineer, who became the country's first patent rights holder.

"The patent system has recognized the value of knowledge, galvanized innovation and fostered development," Hu said in a recent interview.