High in quantity and high in storage: A look into the patents conversion in Chinese Universities

The total number of patents applied and granted in Chinese universities has increased rapidly in recent years, but only a tiny fraction of which is valid. That has yielded a conversion rate close to zero and terrible waste of resources. This paper takes analysis of the special phenomenon of the patent foam in Chinese Universities and the cause based on the data from the reports of National Intellectual Property Office. And proposals are given in the final part stressing the importance of government policies and complementary mechanisms. The cooperation of government, firms and universities is taken as the essential means in reducing the patent foam.