Conference Helps Elevate Shanghai IPR Standards

Shanghai, Nov. 1 - Helping China’s largest city and industrial center become a national model in intellectual property rights (IPR) was the goal of a recent workshop in Shanghai, Oct. 28-30. The Sino-American IPR Training Conference for Professionals featured senior-level roundtable meetings, educational workshops and industry-specific panel discussions. The Honorable Bruce Lehman, Chairman, International Intellectual Property Institute, was keynote speaker.

Distinguished government officials, educators, industry leaders and legal professionals from the United States and China attended the conference, according to Dr. Patrick Fong, Executive Director of American International Education Foundation (AIEF), which co-organized the event with Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration. 

“This event brought together voices of different stakeholders eager to improve IPR standards in this influential business center,” explained Fong. “These conversations examined Shanghai’s IPR challenges on many different levels. Relationships were formed and communication was strengthened on an issue vitally important to the global economy.”

The Sino-American IPR Training Conference was supported by many organizations, including the U.S. Embassy in China, U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai, U.S. Federal Trade Commission, American Chamber of Commerce in China and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Corporate sponsors included PPG Industries.

Conference presentations and agenda can be found at www.aief-usa.org/ipr.

Roundtable Discussions
IPR formulation updates, technology transfers, the role of China’s judicial system in IPR enforcement and Shanghai’s IPR training needs were topics addressed in roundtable meetings between senior level officials and IPR representatives on Oct. 28. Co-chaired by U.S. and Chinese university professors and government officials, the meetings had attendees from organizations such as the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Shanghai Customs Office, U.S. Federal Trade Administration, China Development Institute and American Chamber of Commerce. 

Sino-American Training Sessions
Hundreds of Chinese students attended IPR educational programs at Shanghai University and East China Institute of Law & Politics, Oct. 29. U.S. instructors addressed topics that ranged from complying with World Trade Organization (WTO) requirements to encouraging economic development with stricter IPR enforcement.

Instructors included legal and economics experts from Asia Pacific Legal Institute, California Institute of Technology, Franklin Pierce Law Center, Illinois Institute of Technology, International Intellectual Property Institute, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Pennsylvania Law School and U.S. Federal Trade Commission. 

To help U.S. and overseas companies better protect IP assets in Shanghai, the conference featured educational programs on China’s patent application process, trademark laws and judicial process. Instructors represented Lovells (Shanghai), Shanghai IPR Administration, Shanghai Trademark Registration Department and U.S. Consulate in Shanghai.

Industry-Specific Panel Discussions
Key IPR issues affecting entertainment, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and information technology sectors were examined in panel discussions Oct. 30. Session chairs represented the Entertainment Software Association, Motion Picture Association of America, Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers Association, and U.S. Information Technology Office. Panel participants represented companies like eBay, IBM, Microsoft, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline and Warner Home Video.

Long-Term Initiative
The conference launches an ambitious seven-year initiative by AIEF, with guidance from the International Council on Intellectual Property Rights. Advanced IPR training will be provided to Shanghai policy makers, administrators, educators, judges, custom officers, business owners and enforcement agents. 

“Currently, Shanghai has 500 IPR professionals, compared to more than 4,000 professionals in Tokyo,” said Fong. “To meet growing demands, the city estimates at least 2,300 new IPR professionals will be required by 2010. IPR training will be an important priority for this growing metropolis for many years to come.”

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