1. Publicity

In conformity with the decisions of the leading Party Group and under the guidance of Central Committee of the Communist Party and State Council, the publicity work of the office keeps a close eye at the influential key issues in the field of intellectual property. Both the news media and intellectual property system play a positive role in this field and strong administration had been attached to subordinate publishing houses. With wide and profound publication and dissemination, it is well received by the society.

(1) Three peaks of publicity: the first "World Intellectual Property Day" on April 26; implementation of revised patent law and its implementation regulations and study of the "July 1" speech by President Jiang Zemin; specialized research on intellectual property protection after China's WTO accession and national patent work conference.

In order to be well prepared for the first "World Intellectual Property Day" and to achieve a concentrated publicity effect, the office, even at the end of the year 2000, had issued "Activity Plan and Outline for Publicity of World Intellectual Property Day on April 26" to various areas all over the country. The open ceremony of "Actively Develop Inventions and Creations, Respect and Protect Intellectual Property", which was initiated by the youth of Tianjin city and co-organized by the office, China Association for Science and Tianjin Government, indicated the beginning of this event. During that period, the central TV station (CCTV) played the specific evening program "Today Creates the Future", which was co-organized by the office, State Press and Publication Administration of P. R. China and State Administration for Industry and Commerce of the P. R. China. On the very day of April 26, related officials from the office headed by Commissioner Wang Jingchuan, together with Vice Mayor of Beijing. Lin Wenyi and Bejing Intellectual Property Office, held large-scale consultation. Through the way of giving special interview to the commissioners of the office by the central news media, the importance of the first "World Intellectual Property Day" were widely recognized by both within and without and it also showed to the world the attitude and firm stand of the Chinese government on protecting intellectual property. The office received a congratulation letter from WIPO for celebrating the first "World Intellectual Property Day". For the purpose of warming up the first "World Intellectual Property Day", TV competition of "Innovation Star" began on February 1. This competition is co-organized by the office, CCTV and local intellectual property offices targeting at the youth national wide. The office prepared and distributed slogan and posters for celebrating the first "World Intellectual Property Day" to local intellectual property authorities within the country. It contacted the national post office and made commemorative stamped envelop on "World Intellectual Property Day". It played in CCTV the public welfare advertisement on the protection of intellectual property. The office cooperated with China Association for Science to set the topic of Action day of science and technology dissemination for national youth as "Respect and Protect Intellectual Property", thus providing guidance and incentive to the youth for loving knowledge, respecting science and intellectual property.

On the first "World Intellectual Property Day", Mr. Wen Jiabao, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Vice Premier of the State Council, made an important speech named "Respect Knowledge, Worship Science and Protect Intellectual Property". People's Daily also issued a commentator's article specifically on this topic. This not only further showed to the public the decisive stand of the government on establishing fair and reasonable international intellectual property system and promoting the prosperity of world economy, but also pushed the dissemination work onto the peak.

In order to support the implementation of newly revised patent law, "Notice on the Dissemination Work of Newly Revised Patent Law", in which guidance and focus for dissemination had been provided, was issued by the office and distributed to every institution related in advance. On June 26, the office and the State Council Information Office jointly held a press conference, which explained the importance of the amendment of the patent law this time and the prominent role of the patent system in promoting science and technology advancement and innovation. For external publication, the office made specific CD-ROMs on the achievements of the Chinese patent system and newly revised patent law. The office also supervised the fulfillment of local publicity work, thus assured an impressive result all over the country. On July 1, the implementation day for newly revised patent law and its implementation regulations and the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Chinese communist party, President Jiang Zemin delivered an important speech to the people through out the country. The office had carefully studied and implemented the spirit of the speech and it was reflected in the reports of the central media together with status of implementation of newly revised patent law.

In order to support China's accession to WTO, the office made publications to press journalists at the first stage, in which the office explained the important role and meaning of intellectual property in WTO and the intellectual property protection status in China. On this basis, the office jointly developed universal programs with Xinhua News Agency, Economy Reference, Science Times, Worker's Daily, introducing related knowledge of the relationship between intellectual property and WTO accession. Cooperating with CCTV, it edited and played TV series of "Protection of Patent for Design in China". The office also invited central and local news press to give wide scale report on various conferences organized and held by the office for the purpose of strengthening intellectual property protection, improving its infrastructure and discussing possible measures to cope with WTO accession. Especially after China's accession to WTO, with careful preparations, the office organized publication and report with central news agency on the combination of the spirit of national patent working conference and WTO accession.

(2) Give importance to both news media's dissemination function and general publication effect of intellectual property system

In this year's publication work, the office gave importance to both news media' function and general publication effect of intellectual property system. For example, in assistance to the implementation of patent law and its implementation regulations, before the newly revised patent law entered into effect, the office had organized lectures on revised patent law and its implementation regulations in Beijing, Zhejiang, Shaanxi, Guangxi and etc. While recording the program of "Innovation Star", over 30 staff members from examination departments participated it, which greatly enhanced the level of the program. With regard to the work of supporting local publication, the office provided guidance to the local areas according to their practical status. At the mean time, the office also provided favorable policies to the West of China. This was not only an assurance to the publication effect in local areas, but also an incentive to them. For example, Sichuan as a big province in the west of China had made great achievements in dissemination work through great endeavors. The office, co-organized with European Union and European Patent Office, held an international symposium on "WTO accession and Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement-Strategies for Enterprises" in Sichuan. Certainly, this had a very good effect for further encouraging its dissemination work.

(3) In accordance to the requirements of central government, the office strengthened its management on news publications under its administration

The office continued its annual examination to the news and publications under its administration, provided timely the rules of central government on news publications and conveyed the requirements of related departments on news publication. It assured positive comments from the public and a sound development of those news publications. "National Intellectual Property Competition-100 Questions", which was hosted by China Intellectual Property News achieved good publication effect. The office coordinated with related departments and entrusted the Intellectual Property Publishing House to edit and publish the first "China Intellectual Property Almanac (2000)", which was welcomed by the society.

2. Training

(1) Society Training
In the year 2001, totally 29 training programs were held. Among them 12 were for the enterprises and institutions, 3 were intellectual property seminars within this sector, 5 were for local administrative leaders, 3 for patent agents, 4 for patent administrators and 2 were training programs within the office. Those major training programs include:

--The office organized 2 training programs for major state-owned enterprises. The total number of this kind of training programs were 6 in the past two years and around 400 enterprises were trained in the program. This had achieved great influence to the society and strongly promoted the intellectual property work of major state-owned enterprises. It was high appraised by State Economy and Trade Committee.

-One specific training course was held for the Director Generals of local intellectual property offices, totally 3 courses were organized and nearly all the DGs of local intellectual property offices were trained in the program. The advanced programs and good educational quality of the training course were welcomed by the DGs from local areas.

-Trainers' training for local areas. This year the office organized the first trainers' training course for excellent local staffs. This not only cultivated trainers in necessity, but also increased the professional skills of those staffs. The trainees devoted great efforts to their studies and gained a lot from it. Many participants of the course is now giving lectures in the training courses for the local areas.

-Enterprises training for the West. This year the office strengthened its training support to the west China and held 7 different kinds of training courses for those western enterprises, which was a great support to the western intellectual property work.

-WIPO on-line intellectual property training. Around 40 persons from the office attended the training. This was the first time for the office to cooperate with WIPO on network training and also the first time for the training center to organize on-line training. The attendants had positive responses to the course and the training center also accumu lated experiences on this kind of training.

(2) Internal training

According to training plan for national cadre education from 2001 to 2005 and in conformity with national civil servants system and regulations, the office further regulated the primary on job training and position training and strengthened the updating of knowledge and professional skill training, thus made the educational quality of working staffs of the office meet the requirements of new situation after China's accession to WTO.

In the year 2001, totally 155 newly recruited members of the office in two batches joined the on-line civil servants training organized by the State Personnel Department. Among them, thesis of 20 participants of the first batch were selected as excellent thesis by the State Personnel Department, those thesis of the second batch were under evaluation. At the beginning of the year, the office invited famous professors from State Administrative Institute to give canonical training to those newly promoted cadres on the subject matter of leader's quality and ability and the science and art of leadership.

In order to enhance the legal standard of the working staffs and make them known the latest developments of intellectual property protection in foreign laws, the office invited professors from American law school, who was giving lectures in China at that time, to deliver 4 specific lectures. Voluntary attendants for each lecture exceeded 100. The contents involved American judicial system, judicial procedures, intellectual property protection in the field of computer and latest developments in American patent area.

For the purpose of supporting the long term abroad training of the office staff, enhancing the foreign language level of examiners and making them qualified of multi-language patent documentation search and international opinion exchange, the office organized different languages and different levels foreign language training in 2001. On the basis of last year's preliminary Japanese training course, the office organized mediate level course for the Japanese training this year and invited foreign professors to give lectures. Through all these matters, the education quality had been greatly enhanced and the oral speaking ability of the attendants had been improved. The office kept concluding experiences and improving the training ways during the development of foreign language training. In the accentuated English language training organized for the middle aged and young reserved cadres, the office concentrated the training for legal English and added one intellectual property English course every week.

Besides holding various training courses and organizing specific lectures with different contents, the office also encouraged and supported examination departments to make investigations and researches in the society, to attend various professional seminars and sector's annual meeting. At the same time, the office also encouraged those departments to invite experts in their field to deliver specific lectures according to their expertise. Through these measures, the working staffs can update their knowledge constantly and develop post-graduate education at various levels.

(3) Examination training

In 2001, the office had recruited 155 new examiners. Totally 169 persons, including 14 persons of internal position transference and entrustment, were trained in 3 new examiners' training respectively.

(4) Training work of China Intellectual Property Training Center

In 2001, the training center had organized 36 different kinds of training courses and the total trainees were over 3300.

In order to fulfil the spirit of the central government and heads of State Council on strengthening intellectual property training to the leaders above county level and in accordance to the requirements of China's accession to WTO, the training center, under the support of the commissioners of the office and coordination of local IP offices, organization departments and party institutions, organized intellectual property training for the administrative leaders at the county, local and municipal level. In the year, the training center had held 6 intellectual property training seminars for administrative leaders above county level in Liaoning, Sichuan, Guangxi, Ningxia and Fujian. It also jointly organized training seminar with Heilongjiang intellectual property office on "WTO Accession and Intellectual Property" for leaders from Heilongjiang province. Over 800 leaders at various levels attended the training and many participants expressed their plans to put intellectual property on the top list of local government's work after the seminar.

The training center had finished 10 training seminars entrusted by the State Intellectual Property Office. These included the 2 seminars to the 520 major national leaders and training to DGs of local intellectual property offices and their staff members.

The cultivation of high level intellectual property expertise was one of the most important tasks of the training center. In 1999, the center established cooperation with Huazhong Science and Technology University on Master program and received a warm welcome by the society. In the year 2001, the training center held the second program on Master of Law with China Politics and Law University. Nearly 100 persons from the office, Copyright Office, Trademark Office, court system and patent agencies joined the course.

Organization of intellectual property training seminars in Tibet started from the year 2000 and this had achieved an obvious effect. According to the practical need of Tibet autonomous region, an design training seminar was held in Tibet in 2001.

International exchange and cooperation on intellectual property training was another important work of the training center. Besides undertaking 3 big international symposiums entrusted by WIPO, the center also cooperated with World Academy of WIPO on long distance education. It translated the intellectual property introductory text of World Academy of WIPO into Chinese and organized one trail course within the office. Over 90% participants of the course passed the examination and 34% got mark A for their studies. The cooperative program between the training center and John Marshall Law School of USA on Master training program had entered into abroad study phase. Professors from John Marshall Law School gave lectures in the training center for nearly 50 days. According to the agreement between the training center and John Marshall Law School, the office sent 14 people to USA to continue their study. In the year 2001, the training center had received totally 184 visiting experts from USA, Japan, UK, France, Germany, Korea, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, WIPO, EPO and Taiwan province.

The training center invited Professor. Xie Sisheng, Chief Scientist on nanometer technology, to give an academic report on the latest development of nanometer for over 100 examiners of the office. In accordance with the situation, the training center strengthened its cooperation with intellectual property research center of China Social and Science Institute and undertook studies related to WTO accession, which had made some achievements already.

In this year, the training center had finished the edition and writing of 8 volumes of "China Intellectual Property Education". It also established the web site of the training center and the further allocation work of training facilities.

3. Academic Activities

In 2001, the office held 8 examination seminars whose contents included introduction to patent law and its implementation regulations, professional skill exchange on preliminary examination, substantive examination and reexamination. Altogether 1200 people attended the examination seminars.

From June 10 to June 16, the office co-organized with WIPO held Senior Seminar on Intellectual Property Enforcement in Beijing and Shanghai respectively. Around 250 persons from within and without attended the seminar.

From June 13 to June 15, China Intellectual Property Society and Science, Technology and Law Center of Taiwan Promotion Association on Resource and Communication Industry jointly organized "Science, Technology and Law Forum for Both Sides of Straits" in Beijing. The purpose of the forum was to publicize the science, technology and legal knowledge in the mainland to those entrepreneurs and lawyers working in some hi-tech fields of Taiwan, thus further deepened the mutual understanding and cooperation on the aspect of science and technology investment for parties from both sides of the Straits.

In July and September, China Intellectual Property Society organized EU-China intellectual property seminars in Guilin, Chengdu and Qingdao respectively. The attendants were around 300. The main contents of the seminars included: basic rules of intellectual property, introduction on foreign intellectual property system, introduction on WTO and TRIPS agreement, intellectual property issues on the net and individual case discussion. The attendants also visited local enterprises with sound intellectual property work.

From October 14 to October 21, Deputy Commissioner Mr. Lin Binhui, heading one delegation in non-governmental status, joined "the Fourth Intellectual Property Symposium for Parties from both sides of Straits".

From October 17 to 18, "the Fourth Intellectual Property Symposium for Parties from both sides of Straits" was held in Taibei. The symposium was organized by China Intellectual Property Society, Taiwan General Association for Industry and Science and Technology Administration Research Institute of Taiwan Politics University. Around 300 representatives from both sides of the Straits attended the symposium, among which 24 were from the mainland. The main topics of the symposium was the protection and implementation of intellectual property in the knowledge based economy. In the symposium, 31 academic thesis were exchanged. Deputy Commissioner Mr. Lin Binhui and Professor Liu Jiangbin made specific academic reports at the symposium and gave introduction to the latest developments of mainland and Taiwan intellectual property system separately.

From November 16 to 18, "2001 Shanghai International Symposium on Intellectual Property Protection" was held in Shanghai. The attendants were over 200 people from nearly 20 countries and regions, among which over 50 were foreign representatives. The symposium was organized by China Intellectual Property Society and Shanghai Patent and Trademark Agency. Mr. Ma Lianyuan, Standing Vice Councilor of China Intellectual Property Society, and Mr. Yang Xiong, Vice Secretary General of Shanghai government attended the symposium and delivered speech. The symposium was divided into 4 topics: latest developments of intellectual property law and practice in various countries; intellectual property protection for new technologies; judicial and administrative protection of intellectual property; intellectual property protection and international trade. 16 well known experts from China and abroad delivered lectures on the symposium and received warm responses. Attendants to the symposium highly appraised the symposium and the symposium achieved great success.

From November 27 to 29, in order to further adapt to the challenges brought out by WTO accession to the local intellectual property work, the office, together with Japan Trade Promotion Association, Yingqing University and Japanese Patent Office, held "Symposium on Enterprises' Intellectual Property Administration" in Hangzhou of Zhejiang Province and Kunming of Yunnan Province. Around 250 representatives from China and abroad attended the two symposiums.

From November 28 to 29, the office, co-organized with European Union and European Patent Office, held an international symposium on "WTO Accession and Intellectual Property Enforcement--Enterprises' Strategies" in Chengdu. Commissioner Mr. Wang Jingchuan on behalf of the office and the President Mr. Ingo Kober on behalf of European Patent Office attended the symposium. Around 200 representatives from China and abroad joined the symposium.

In November, the office organized discussions between examiners and patent agents, which was held every two years. Over 30 examiners and 150 patent agents joined the discussion. The main topics of the discussion were related to the introduction of patent law, its implementation regulations and examination guidance amendment. Through this kind of discussion, the relations between examiners and patent agents were deepened and it was welcomed by the attendants.

From December 17 to 18, the office, cooperated with Hong Kong Intellectual Property Office and Macao Economy Bureau, held "2001 Intellectual Property Symposium of Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Region" in Macao.

Intellectual Property Society published 6 volumes of "Intellectual Property" to the public through the post office in the year 2001. On the basis of maintaining the original style of the magazine, it closely followed the revision of patent law, trademark law and copyright law and published related articles. 

2013-07-17