China breaks patent application record

Huawei was one of the most prolific Chinese patent applicants, making 3,898 filings last year

China-based inventors applied for a record-setting number of patents last year.

The country accounted for more than a million submissions, according to an annual report by the World Intellectual Property Organization Wipo .

This allows the creator and subsequent owners to prevent others from making, using, offering for sale or importing their invention into the country for a limited time.

A total of 2.9 million patent applications were filed worldwide in 2015, according to Wipo, marking a 7.8% rise on the previous year.

Its domestic patent office - the Property Office of the People's Republic of China Sipo - received a record 1,101,864 filings.