Jereh Group: Patent Strategy in a Global Landscape March 26, 2025 Yantai Jereh Oilfield Services Group (Jereh Group), a company specializing in oil and gas services, has been featured for three consecutive years in the LexisNexis Innovation Momentum: The Global Top 100 report. We are honored to once again sit down with Mr. Steven Zhou, Chief Intellectual Property Officer of Jereh Group, for an in-depth discussion on how the company leverages patent strategies to seize opportunities arising from cross-disciplinary technology integration and how it adapts its patent strategies in response to global geopolitical changes. Before joining Jereh Group, Mr. Steven Zhou held over 20 years of experience working with major enterprises and Global Fortune 500 multinational companies. He has served as Head of IP for Europe at ZTE Corporation and Director of IP Legal Affairs at TCL Corporation. He brings extensive experience in IP strategy planning, system development and operations, as well as patent filing, licensing, and litigation. Cross-field technology integration and patent strategy Q1: In recent years, cross-field technological integration has become a hotspot for innovation. How does Jereh Group use its patent strategy to seize strategic opportunities in these intersecting fields? Mr. Steven Zhou: As a company in a traditional industry, we are also facing the trend of digitalization, networking, and intelligent transformation. We noticed this shift early on and made the necessary preparations. From an innovation perspective, applying new technologies to traditional equipment is all about enhancing our ability to deliver advanced technological solutions to customers. We also focus on sensing customer demand changes, tracking market rhythms, and combining our R&D progress to provide tailored solutions. At the core, maintaining market competitiveness requires delivering targeted solutions that directly address customer pain points. Cross-field innovations help meet these needs and even lead the market forward. From a patent perspective, we emphasize patent strength as a key driver and prioritize cross-field integration. This focus has placed us among the top or even leading positions in several technological domains. For instance, in the field of turbine fracturing technology, we are ranked number one globally in terms of patent strength. Q2: How do you typically understand customer needs—through feedback or based on market competition? Mr. Steven Zhou: There are no standardized products in the field of high-end oilfield equipment. Projects are mostly custom-built for clients. Once a customer purchases our equipment, a deep and binding relationship is formed, similar to what is seen in the telecom industry. Therefore, close communication and deep cooperation with clients are crucial. This helps us precisely understand their needs and deliver more competitive products and solutions. The commercial value of patent litigation Q3: Could you share Jereh Group’s experiences and lessons from patent litigation or IP disputes? How have these shaped your patent management strategies? Mr. Steven Zhou: We began patent enforcement efforts around three to four years ago, and the progress has been smooth. Through enforcement, we can test the commercial value of our patent portfolio, use that as a basis to clean up assets and refine our patent strategy accordingly—thus forming a closed-loop patent value chain. This loop serves a vital purpose: communicating across departments (especially R&D) that the value of patents lies in enhancing competitive advantage. Many people mistakenly focus only on protecting their own products to develop their patent portfolio planning. Another key function of this loop is activating patent assets—identifying high-value patents and addressing low-value ones promptly. Litigation plays a critical role in revitalizing these assets. Q4: There are various methods to analyze patent value—litigation, validity analysis, or external law firm evaluations. Do you personally prefer litigation as a tool? Mr. Steven Zhou: There are many valuation methods like cost, income, and market approaches, but these often feel like self-deception. You can use a particular approach to assign high value to a patent, but it’s meaningless unless someone is willing to pay for it. Whether willingly or through litigation—if someone pays, it proves the value. If not, we litigate to compel payment. Even if a patent is not particularly strong, we still pursue litigation with confidence. The result itself is not the most important part—what matters is that litigation helps create a better market environment, which is critical for expansion. Our work is driven by business objectives. This distinguishes us from non-practicing entities (NPEs). Whether it’s patent filings or litigation, our focus is always on market competition. Patent strategy amidst global geopolitical shifts Q5: With ongoing geopolitical changes, how has Jereh Group adapted its patent and technology transfer strategies to navigate shifts in trade policy across different regions? Mr. Steven Zhou: When we have business in a certain region, we ensure we have patent coverage there to counter potential competition. Even in markets where we currently have no presence, we may still file patents to proactively prepare. In North America, we’ve had a presence and experience for over ten years. We consider patent strategy there especially important: on one hand, to safeguard current operations; on the other, should future shifts occur, our portfolio offers more flexibility and growth potential. Although de-globalization has had some impact, globalization remains the dominant trend. Jereh Group operates in over 70 countries and regions worldwide, many of which are highly competitive. Strong patent positioning in various jurisdictions is critical for our long-term international expansion. Smart IoT and patent challenges Q6: As industrial smart IoT becomes more prevalent, communication protocols may raise standard essential patent (SEP) issues. What’s your view on this challenge? Mr. Steven Zhou: We’ve kept a close eye on this issue. Similar to the automotive industry, as oil and gas equipment becomes more connected, IP risks from telecom can spill over. However, our industry is somewhat different—the number of units sold each year is relatively low, so the risk is manageable. In contrast, the automotive industry, with tens of millions of units sold globally, is far more attractive to patent assertion entities. In practice, we include terms in our procurement agreements that place SEP responsibilities on upstream suppliers, ensuring our business remains secure. Company culture: The core competitiveness of Jereh Group Mr. Steven Zhou: We believe Jereh Group’s core competitiveness does not lie solely in our existing technological edge, market position, or IP strength. It truly lies in our corporate culture. The healthier our culture, and the more we live by it, the more competitive we become. We firmly believe in our vision: building an international brand and establishing Jereh Group as a century-old enterprise. This is a goal we are confident we can achieve. This article is based on a 2025 conversation with Mr. Steven Zhou, Chief Intellectual Property Officer of Jereh Group. Innovation Report Reveals the Trailblazers of Tomorrow What Questions Will the 2025 Report Answer? Which sectors are leading the innovation race, and what does that mean for the future of industry dynamics? What companies have shown the strongest innovation momentum over the past two years? How are major shifts, like cross-sector collaborations and M&As, redefining the innovation landscape? How is artificial intelligence(AI) driving innovation, and which industries are leveraging it most effectively? What cutting-edge IP strategies are adopted by innovation trailblazers? With a focus on data-driven, actionable insights and future-proof strategies, the Innovation Momentum 2025 report is the must-have guide for business leaders, IP professionals, and innovators. Get The Report Was this post helpful? Let us know if you liked the post. That’s the only way we can improve. Yes No
Jereh Group: Patent Strategy in a Global Landscape March 26, 2025 Yantai Jereh Oilfield Services Group (Jereh Group), a company specializing in oil and gas services, has been featured for three consecutive years in the LexisNexis Innovation Momentum: The Global Top 100 report. We are honored to once again sit down with Mr. Steven Zhou, Chief Intellectual Property Officer of Jereh Group, for an in-depth discussion on how the company leverages patent strategies to seize opportunities arising from cross-disciplinary technology integration and how it adapts its patent strategies in response to global geopolitical changes. Before joining Jereh Group, Mr. Steven Zhou held over 20 years of experience working with major enterprises and Global Fortune 500 multinational companies. He has served as Head of IP for Europe at ZTE Corporation and Director of IP Legal Affairs at TCL Corporation. He brings extensive experience in IP strategy planning, system development and operations, as well as patent filing, licensing, and litigation. Cross-field technology integration and patent strategy Q1: In recent years, cross-field technological integration has become a hotspot for innovation. How does Jereh Group use its patent strategy to seize strategic opportunities in these intersecting fields? Mr. Steven Zhou: As a company in a traditional industry, we are also facing the trend of digitalization, networking, and intelligent transformation. We noticed this shift early on and made the necessary preparations. From an innovation perspective, applying new technologies to traditional equipment is all about enhancing our ability to deliver advanced technological solutions to customers. We also focus on sensing customer demand changes, tracking market rhythms, and combining our R&D progress to provide tailored solutions. At the core, maintaining market competitiveness requires delivering targeted solutions that directly address customer pain points. Cross-field innovations help meet these needs and even lead the market forward. From a patent perspective, we emphasize patent strength as a key driver and prioritize cross-field integration. This focus has placed us among the top or even leading positions in several technological domains. For instance, in the field of turbine fracturing technology, we are ranked number one globally in terms of patent strength. Q2: How do you typically understand customer needs—through feedback or based on market competition? Mr. Steven Zhou: There are no standardized products in the field of high-end oilfield equipment. Projects are mostly custom-built for clients. Once a customer purchases our equipment, a deep and binding relationship is formed, similar to what is seen in the telecom industry. Therefore, close communication and deep cooperation with clients are crucial. This helps us precisely understand their needs and deliver more competitive products and solutions. The commercial value of patent litigation Q3: Could you share Jereh Group’s experiences and lessons from patent litigation or IP disputes? How have these shaped your patent management strategies? Mr. Steven Zhou: We began patent enforcement efforts around three to four years ago, and the progress has been smooth. Through enforcement, we can test the commercial value of our patent portfolio, use that as a basis to clean up assets and refine our patent strategy accordingly—thus forming a closed-loop patent value chain. This loop serves a vital purpose: communicating across departments (especially R&D) that the value of patents lies in enhancing competitive advantage. Many people mistakenly focus only on protecting their own products to develop their patent portfolio planning. Another key function of this loop is activating patent assets—identifying high-value patents and addressing low-value ones promptly. Litigation plays a critical role in revitalizing these assets. Q4: There are various methods to analyze patent value—litigation, validity analysis, or external law firm evaluations. Do you personally prefer litigation as a tool? Mr. Steven Zhou: There are many valuation methods like cost, income, and market approaches, but these often feel like self-deception. You can use a particular approach to assign high value to a patent, but it’s meaningless unless someone is willing to pay for it. Whether willingly or through litigation—if someone pays, it proves the value. If not, we litigate to compel payment. Even if a patent is not particularly strong, we still pursue litigation with confidence. The result itself is not the most important part—what matters is that litigation helps create a better market environment, which is critical for expansion. Our work is driven by business objectives. This distinguishes us from non-practicing entities (NPEs). Whether it’s patent filings or litigation, our focus is always on market competition. Patent strategy amidst global geopolitical shifts Q5: With ongoing geopolitical changes, how has Jereh Group adapted its patent and technology transfer strategies to navigate shifts in trade policy across different regions? Mr. Steven Zhou: When we have business in a certain region, we ensure we have patent coverage there to counter potential competition. Even in markets where we currently have no presence, we may still file patents to proactively prepare. In North America, we’ve had a presence and experience for over ten years. We consider patent strategy there especially important: on one hand, to safeguard current operations; on the other, should future shifts occur, our portfolio offers more flexibility and growth potential. Although de-globalization has had some impact, globalization remains the dominant trend. Jereh Group operates in over 70 countries and regions worldwide, many of which are highly competitive. Strong patent positioning in various jurisdictions is critical for our long-term international expansion. Smart IoT and patent challenges Q6: As industrial smart IoT becomes more prevalent, communication protocols may raise standard essential patent (SEP) issues. What’s your view on this challenge? Mr. Steven Zhou: We’ve kept a close eye on this issue. Similar to the automotive industry, as oil and gas equipment becomes more connected, IP risks from telecom can spill over. However, our industry is somewhat different—the number of units sold each year is relatively low, so the risk is manageable. In contrast, the automotive industry, with tens of millions of units sold globally, is far more attractive to patent assertion entities. In practice, we include terms in our procurement agreements that place SEP responsibilities on upstream suppliers, ensuring our business remains secure. Company culture: The core competitiveness of Jereh Group Mr. Steven Zhou: We believe Jereh Group’s core competitiveness does not lie solely in our existing technological edge, market position, or IP strength. It truly lies in our corporate culture. The healthier our culture, and the more we live by it, the more competitive we become. We firmly believe in our vision: building an international brand and establishing Jereh Group as a century-old enterprise. This is a goal we are confident we can achieve. This article is based on a 2025 conversation with Mr. Steven Zhou, Chief Intellectual Property Officer of Jereh Group. Innovation Report Reveals the Trailblazers of Tomorrow What Questions Will the 2025 Report Answer? Which sectors are leading the innovation race, and what does that mean for the future of industry dynamics? What companies have shown the strongest innovation momentum over the past two years? How are major shifts, like cross-sector collaborations and M&As, redefining the innovation landscape? How is artificial intelligence(AI) driving innovation, and which industries are leveraging it most effectively? What cutting-edge IP strategies are adopted by innovation trailblazers? With a focus on data-driven, actionable insights and future-proof strategies, the Innovation Momentum 2025 report is the must-have guide for business leaders, IP professionals, and innovators. Get The Report Was this post helpful? Let us know if you liked the post. That’s the only way we can improve. Yes No
