Over the past 10 years, I have probably written over 200 articles on intellectual property in China. Some are published in formal magazines, and some in various blogs. They are all written in a professional manner, i.e. impersonal and neutral, rich in passive tenses or third-party perspectives. Obviously, those are the articles we see a lot in a business environment, and on LinkedIn which emphasize business interaction.
However, I am thinking that it might not be a bad idea to keep an "IP diary", a more personal description of my daily work and life as a patent/trademark agent and IP attorney in China. The topic can be career stories, interesting clients, noteworthy cases, takeaways from attending seminars or conferences, and reflections on daily readings in the IP media.
In sum, the IP diary can be a semi-formal (or semi-informal) short journal of the life and work of an IP attorney in China.
So here is my first attempt. As you can imagine, a productive writer means a diligent reader. I like reading and enjoy gathering old books. Here is an old IP book in China that I found on China's biggest old book online market (the so-called Confucius Old Books website).
This book was written by Prof. ZHENG Chengsi, the most famous IP scholar in China. It is perhaps the oldest book on patent law in China, published in June 1982. For those familiar with China IP, the first China Patent Law was only drafted in 1984 and came into force in April 1985.
It is a Chinese translation of the book written by Peter D Rosenberg, entitled "PATENT LAW FUNDAMENTALS". Not sure if anyone on LinkedIn knew him. I believe he must be one of the most influential patent lawyers in the 1970 and 1980s in the USA, so much so that his book got attention in China, and Prof. Zheng chose to translate it for the Chinese audience.
Although the book was quite old, I find it a real pleasure to read, with the patent law concept explained in such an easy-to-understand and interesting way. I am hoping to write a book review later on. Suffice it to say that it is still a valuable read if anyone wants to get a good grasp of patent law principles, and intends to explain to the general public the operation of patent law in a professional yet interesting way.
First published on LinkedIn on 25 May 2021, by Jian Xu
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