China company secures $1.3 billion loan against IP rights

The article China’s multi-billion dollar IP financing market may not be all it seems comes as somewhat of a surprise. Articles and TV shows abound about the counterfeiting of goods in China. A complete counterfeit Apple store was even built. So lending $1.3 billion against 110 patent and trademark rights seems odd. But as the article points out, China's first trademark law was adopted in 1982. Protecting intellectual property is a relatively new idea in China. The author is obviously ambivalent about the meaning of the loan. It is an intriguing development.