On August 28 2009 Tencent and Zhongnan University Of Economics & Law a well-known institution of higher education for intellectual property teaching and research in China jointly announced that they would set up the 'Intellectual Property Postdoctoral Research base of Zhongnan University Of Economics & Law' and the 'Innovation base for Postgraduate Students of the School of Intellectual Property of Zhongnan University Of Economics & Law' at Tencent to conduct research on Internet intellectual property protection in China. It is also the first postdoctoral research base for Internet intellectual property in China.

The Intellectual Property Research Center of Zhongnan University Of Economics & Law is one of the earliest institutions engaged in intellectual property teaching and research in China. Undertaking comprehensive academic research exchanges and talent training since its founding the Center has provided the government with policy research and consultancy services concerning intellectual property protection and trained a large number of intellectual property professionals.

In the future Zhongnan University Of Economics & Law will dispatch outstanding postdoctoral researchers to Tencent each year to conduct research in the fields of Internet law media law and intellectual property law. In 2009 the two sides will focus on the four major topics of online intangible property use and protection of personal information on the Internet new trends of software protection in the Internet era and new digital media and copyright permit. In addition to providing necessary funding support for relevant research Tencent will offer researchers with assistance in social practice through its rich and comprehensive product lines in the Internet field.

Chen Yidan one of Tencent Group's founders and Chief Administration Officer (CAO) said that Tencent has long been taking core competency building through independent intellectual property innovations as its strategic direction and established a compound intellectual property protection system that covers domain names copyright trademarks and patents. Currently Tencent has made more than 2000 patent applications with over 400 already granted enabling it one of the enterprises with the biggest number of Internet patents in the world. In addition it has obtained more than 500 trademarks. Its QQ Trademark has been certified by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce as a well-known trademark. The Internet is both a virtual and a real space where technology progress is integrated into runs into conflict with and adapts to the social cultural and ecology environment. Profoundly innovating the way of social production and life the Internet as a fertile ground for intellectual property education and research has brought a wide range of new thoughts and topics.

Professor Wu Handong President of Zhongnan University Of Economics & Law said that the joint postdoctoral research base which his university has co-founded with Tencent embodies a new thinking for cooperation of universities industries and research institutions. He noted that this pioneering move is good for helping the whole society to pay more attention to the intellectual property protection and will greatly push forward the maturity and improvement of relevant legislations in China.