For Xu Yun, the massive caches of online data are like goldmines waiting to be explored.

Based in Beijing's Zhongguancun high-tech zone, the company where Xu works analyzes the browsing behaviors of China's 500 million Internet users.

But realizing big data's even bigger potential requires intellectual property support, which is why Xu's company was selected to host patent officials as part of a program the State Intellectual Property Office launched last year.

Last May, SIPO assigned patent examiners to work at companies in Zhongguancun industrial areas as "practice bases".

The initiative aims to better guide companies through the patent application process and to give examiners a glimpse at the latest industry trends while expanding their reservoir of knowledge.

Not all companies in the area have a chance to utilize the patent examiners. According to a SIPO announcement, only those that have been granted a national "high-tech company" status and filed at least 30 patent applications in the past three years will be considered.

"Computing and Internet-related techniques are developing fast, with new concepts that emerge from time to time," Wang Xuelian, one of the four patent examiners, told Beijing Daily.

A college graduate who majored computer technology, Wang listened carefully when Xu Yun gave his presentation on big data to the patent examiners and took notes just like a student.

Her daily work is to read patent application materials and then search the database to find out if a similar patent has already been authorized. It requires her to find what exactly the company wants to protect.

"Sometimes we have to do a lot of research to understand the key technical points of some emerging fields," she said.

Learning the latest scientific information from companies is crucial, Wang said.

Wang and her colleagues also bring a lot of first-hand experience to the companies they work with.

When a company's engineers offer clear explanations of technologies, it ensures a smooth application process, Wang said.

The time required to complete a patent application examination varies from hours to weeks, largely depending on the written materials. If the application material has many unexplained technical terms, it can result in delays.

It is important for technicians and patent agencies to cooperate well and communicate during the process, she said.

According to the Beijing Intellectual Property Office, some 100 patent examiners will work at Zhongguancun companies this year.

Together, these companies have filed more than 14,000 patent applications as of June this year, up 29 percent compared to the same period of last year. The number is expected to exceed 40,000 in 2015, officials said.

haonan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/23/2013 page17)