1. Positively Creating an Environment to Encourage Intellectual Innovation and the Protection of IPRs and Promoting Scientific and Technological Progress and Economic Development of the World - Vice Premier Wen Jiabao Attended the Opening Ceremony of the Sino-African Intellectual Property Forum and Delivered a Speech.

(1)Vice Premier Wen Jiabao Attended the Opening Ceremony of the Sino-African Intellectual Property Forum and Delivered a Speech.

Before the ceremony, Vice Premier Wen Jiabao met Dr. Idris, Director General of the WIPO  and major representatives attending the Sino-African Intellectual Property Forum.

the Venue of the Sino-African Intellectual Property Forum.

The WIPO and the SIPO for the first time co-organized the Sino-African Intellectual Property Forum from May 21 to 22 in Beijing. Mr. Wen Jiabao, Vice Premier of the State Council, and Dr. Kamil Idris, Director General of the WIPO, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. About a hundred representatives participated in the Forum, including senior officials from the WIPO, the World Bank, the WTO, the UNDP, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), and sixteen African countries, and Chinese domestic representatives.

Vice Premier Wen Jiabao delivered a speech first at the opening ceremony, praised that the Forum was an important event for China and African countries in strengthening exchanges and cooperation in the field of intellectual property, and indicated the strong will and firm belief of China and African countries in positively creating a favorable environment for encouraging intellectual innovation and protecting IPRs and a hopeful and positive future together.

Dr. Idris, Director General of the WIPO, also delivered a warm speech at the ceremony and thanked the Chinese Government for its support and cooperation to this Forum. He mentioned that during the past twenty years China had made significant achievements in the field of intellectual property and African countries also had taken advantage of their great potential in protecting IPRs. He hoped that both sides would closely cooperate in this field and would promote the development of respective intellectual property system so as to make contributions to global intellectual property protection.
Commissioner Wang Jingchuan moderated the ceremony, while Mr. Roberto Castelo, Deputy Director General of the WIPO, Mr. Wang Zhongfu, Commissioner of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC), and Mr. Shi Zongyuan, Commissioner of the National Copyright Administration (NCA), were seated in the front row of the rostrum.

The Forum concentrated on topics of Intellectual Property and Economic Development, Intellectual Property and Information Technology, Challenges Faced by the Intellectual Property System in the 21st Century, and Newly Emerged Intellectual Property Issues. Mr. Castelo, Deputy Director General of the WIPO, Mr. Wang Jingchuan, Commissioner of the SIPO, Mr. Tian Lipu, Deputy Commissioner of the SIPO, and Mr. Shi Zongyuan, Commissioner of the NCA, and Mr. Li Dongsheng, Deputy Commissioner of the SAIC, made speeches focusing on certain topics respectively.

Address of Vice Premier Wen Jiabao on the Sino-African Intellectual Property Forum

Address by Vice Premier Wen Jiabao at the opening ceremony  of the Sino-African Intellectual Property Forum.

Distinguished Director General,
Distinguished Ministers,
Distinguished Guests from International and Regional Organizations,
Ladies, Gentlemen, and Friends,

Today, we gather in Beijing to discuss matters of vital importance on Sino-African intellectual property cooperation and protection. First, on behalf of the Chinese Government and myself, I would like to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Idris, Director General of the WIPO, who made great contributions to the successful organization of the Forum, to representatives from African countries coming from a long way, and guests from international and regional organizations.  I express a heart-felt congratulations on the success of the Forum.

We are very honored to co-organize the Sino-African Intellectual Property Forum with the World Intellectual Property Organization, which is an important action for strengthening exchanges and cooperation in the field of intellectual property protection between China and African countries in the new century. This indicates the strong will and firm confidence of China and African countries toward positively fostering an environment encouraging intellectual innovation and intellectual property protection and creating a bright future together. The four topics of the Forum, namely, Intellectual Property and Economic Development, Intellectual Property and Information Technology, Challenges Faced by the Intellectual Property System and Newly Emerged Intellectual Property Issues in the 21st Century, not only reflect the pressing issues in the current developing process of the world intellectual property system, but also have a significant real meaning for China and the developing countries of Africa. I firmly believe the Forum will establish a more solid basis for future cooperation between China and African countries and will further promote the construction of the intellectual property systems of all participating countries.

The world is witnessing the fast development of science and technology, a knowledge economy and economic globalization, all of which are supported by the strength of ownership of IPRs. Intellectual property plays an increasingly important role in promoting national economic development and social progress, enhancing comprehensive national power and in improving international competitiveness. It has been commonly recognized by all countries in the world to encourage innovation, to attach importance to intellectual property protection and to strengthen cooperation in the field of intellectual property.

As the birthplaces of human ancient civilization, China and African countries all made indelible contributions to the development of world civilization through their rich and profound traditional cultures. As we know, China is the largest developing country in the world, while Africa is the continent with the most developing countries. The Chinese Government attaches great importance to intellectual property protection, especially through more than twenty years' efforts since the Reform and Opening up. China has established a rather sound intellectual property legal system combining judicial and administrative enforcement to protect IPRs and has made great strides in protecting IPRs. We are glad to see more and more African countries have strengthened their IP systems in recent years, have scored significant achievements in protecting IPRs, and have become necessary and important powers on the international intellectual property stage. To strengthen cooperation between China and Africa in the field of intellectual property is conducive for both sides to drawing on each other's experiences, accelerating scientific and technological innovation and economic development of all countries, commonly taking part in the development process of the international intellectual property system, enhancing the role of developing countries in international intellectual property affairs, and promoting the establishment of fair and reasonable international intellectual property protection code so as to benefit all countries with scientific and technological innovation and progress.

We gratifyingly notice, under the positive initiation of the Director General of the WIPO, that this organization has taken a series of measures to help developing countries take advantage of the intellectual property system and promote the national development of science, technology and a variety of economies, such as providing assistance in the preparation of legislation, personnel training and other technical assistance, and in initiating the SMEs Intellectual Property Project, so as to help developing countries benefit from establishing and using the intellectual property system, for which the Chinese Government expresses its appreciation and support.

I believe, with the efforts of all participants, that the Forum will certainly reach its expected goals of equal consulting, the promotion of understanding, the expansion of common recognition, the strengthening of friendships and the enhancement of cooperation, and will contribute to the prosperity and development of China and African countries.

I wish every success to the Sino-African Intellectual Property Forum! And I wish all of our friends to enjoy your stay in China!

Thank you!

(2) Framework Agreement of Cooperation between the WIPO and the SIPO Signed

After the ceremony for signing the Agreement, Dr. Idris received   interview on related issues by major media.

Signing and Exchanging Framework Agreement of Coopera  tion between the WIPO and SIPO by Director General Idris and Commissioner Wang Jingchuan.

On May 21, The WIPO and the SIPO signed the Framework Agreement of Cooperation between the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China and the World Intellectual Property Organization in Beijing. Dr. Kamil Idris, Director General of the WIPO, and Mr. Wang Jingchuan, Commissioner of the SIPO signed the Agreement representing both sides.

Dr. Idris initiated the Agreement. When the SIPO drafted the framework of the Agreement, the SIPO took China's characteristics and its current intellectual property regime protection into consideration, with the purpose of strengthening the full cooperation and exchanges between China and the WIPO in the field of intellectual property including industrial property and copyright protection. The Agreement includes eight Articles, viz., Cooperation and Consultation, Areas of Cooperation, Assistance, Implementation, Modification, Evaluation, Duration and Termination, and Entry into Force.

Foreign representatives attending the signing ceremony included Mr. Roberto Castelo, Deputy Director General of the WIPO, and Ms. Rita Hayes, Deputy Director General of the WIPO, and others, while representatives of China included Mr. Wang Zhongfu, Commissioner of the SAIC, Mr. Shi Zongyuan, Commissioner of the NCA, Mr. Sha Zukang, Ambassador of Chinese Permanent Mission in Geneva, Mr. Ma Lianyuan, Mr. Yang Zhengwu, Mr. Wu Boming, Mr. Lin Binghui, Mr. Xing Shengcai, Deputy Commissioners of the SIPO, Mr. Chen Zhonghua, Secretary General of the SIPO and others.

2. The Second Forum on Creativity and Invention

In order to further improve public awareness of the significance of intellectual property in economic, social and cultural development, and to promote exchanges among all interested parties of the intellectual property system, the WIPO and the SIPO co-organized the Second Forum on Creativity and Invention - A Better Future for Humanity in the 21st Century in Beijing. Mr. Ni Zhifu, President of China Invention Association, Mr. Wang Jingchuan, Commissioner of the SIPO, Ms. Rita Hayes, Deputy Director General of the WIPO, Martti En?j?rvi, Director General of the National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland, and almost 200 officials, experts and scholars from more than twenty countries in the area of intellectual property attended the Forum.

Commissioner Wang Jingchuan was delivering a speech at  the opening ceremony.

Commissioner Wang Jingchuan pointed out at the opening ceremony that technological innovation had become the basis for developing a knowledge economy, for science and technology had closely merged with the many economies of the world. The basic way to promote technological innovation was to provide an inner motivational mechanism for technological innovation and to create an external legal and political environment to protect technological innovation and to maintain fair and orderly competition. The pilot strategy of science and technology and education initiated by the Chinese government many years ago must take the sound intellectual property system as an important means to raise our international competitiveness. While all countries were improving their innovation system, China would like to devote efforts to the common progress of the whole world.

Ms. Rita Hayes, Deputy Director General of the WIPO, indicated in her speech that China was a country with several thousands' years of civilization and was a genuine partner of the WIPO. Intellectual property was not only the result of creativity and invention, but also was the source for encouraging innovation, which played an increasingly important role in the modern world.

3. The National Conference of Directors from Local Intellectual Property Administrations

National Conference of Directors of Local Intellectual Property  Adminstrations.

From December 12 to 13, the SIPO held the National Conference of Directors from Local Intellectual Property Administrations in Beijing. Directors from thirty-one IP Administrations at the provincial level and twenty-four pilot cities, as well as officials from the SIPO, resulting in a total of more than 130 persons, participated in the Conference. Commissioner Wang Jingchuan made an important speech titled "Thoroughly Acting in the Spirit of the Sixteenth Conference of the National Representatives of the Chinese Communist Party, and Fully Pushing Forward the Intellectual Property Cause to a New Stage." Deputy Commissioner Xing Shengcai moderated the Conference.

The Conference focused on deeply studying and thoroughly acting in the spirit of the Sixteenth Conference of the National Representatives of the Chinese Communist Party. Guided by the important conceptions of the "Three Representatives," further emancipating our minds, unifying realization and keeping pace with the times, all done according to the requirement of "developing upon new thoughts, reform upon new breakthroughs, opening up upon new situation, and all work upon new measures," the commissioner stressed that we must reconsider the work done since the National Patent Conference, adapt to the new situation, clearly understand the position of the intellectual property work, identify objectives and tasks, and devote efforts to fully pushing forward the intellectual property work to a new stage.

Commissioner Wang Jingchuan pointed out in his speech that strengthening the intellectual property system, carrying out intellectual property strategies, especially a patent strategy, increasing the output of independently owned IPRs, and enhancing and improving our competitiveness of core technologies, had become the strategic requirement of the new-type industrialization in the new era and the basic task for those involved in the area of the intellectual property initiated by the Sixteenth Conference of the National Representatives of the Chinese Communist Party. He said facing the new task and situation in the new era, we must adjust strategic thoughts and working guidelines to accelerate the promotion of our intellectual property work. First, we must plan our intellectual property work from the strategic high plane of overall national development, reform and opening up. Second, we must make intellectual property protection part of the very backbone of national scientific, technological and economic development. Third, we must identify the aim of our intellectual property work to promote the establishment of a large number of independently owned IPRs and to continuously enhance our national competitiveness.

Commissioner Wang Jingchuan also pointed out five major tasks in the near future. First, emancipating the mind, holding to the truth, keeping pace with the times, changing old thinking, and conforming the understanding of intellectual property administration to the spirit of the Sixteenth Conference of the National Representatives of the Chinese Communist Party. Second, continuing the structuring of the framework of the intellectual property work, improving the intellectual property system, and fully enhancing the capability of comprehensive intellectual property administration. Third, practically adopting new measures, encouraging technological innovation, mastering core technologies and owning a number of independently owned IPRs in key areas and in many leading edges of science and technology. Fourth, positively carrying out the patent strategy promotion project and forcefully promoting the formulation of independently owned IPRs. Fifth, establishing evaluation standards for independently owned IPRs, enhancing direction, supervision and assessment, and improving working efficiency.

The participants praised Commissioner Wang's speech highly and carried out serious discussions, meanwhile placing great hopes on the future work of the SIPO.

At the end, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan concluded and raised the requirements on the local intellectual property work in the new era according to several goals. First, feasibly accelerating the construction of intellectual property system. Second, discovering strategic breakthroughs according to the local characteristics and making efforts toward owning more IPRs. Third, attaching importance to the formulation of market plans to serve the industrial adjustment and enterprises' realignment. Fourth, paying attention to and promoting the development of intellectual property services. Fifth, taking advantage of the opportunity of organizing the World Intellectual Property Leaders' Conference, publicizing such efforts and promoting outreach of intellectual property to the public.

The Conference unified the understanding of the participants and made significant achievements.

4. "ENCOURAGING INNOVATION" - to Celebrate April 26, World Intellectual Property Day, the SIPO Organized a Series of Celebratory Activities.

Outstanding Woman Inventors in the New  Century.

In a special program, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan, as a  special guest, was interviewed by program moderator.

(1) "Woman Inventors in the New Century" Award Ceremony

On April 25, the SIPO held the Award Ceremony for "Woman Inventors in the New Century" in the Great Hall of the People, in which ten outstanding female inventors were honored with the title of "Woman Inventors in the New Century." Ms. Peng Peiyun, Vice Chair of the Standing Committee of NPC and Chair of the National Female Federation, attended the ceremony and expressed words of encouragement: "Working and researching hard, being creative in making innovation, making unremitting efforts to improve oneself, outstanding model for women," A total of more than 800 persons, including representatives from departments of the central government, the Logistics Department of the Liberation Army, some democratic parties, and departments of the SIPO, attended the ceremony. Ms. Gu Xiulian, Vice Chair of the National Female Federation, and Mr. Wang Jingchuan, Commissioner of the SIPO, respectively delivered speeches at the ceremony, which was moderated by Deputy Commissioner Ma Lianyuan.

The appraisal activity was co-organized by the SIPO, the National Female Federation, and the China Invention Association, with purposes of raising IP awareness among women, stimulating women's enthusiasm for continuously making invention and innovation, showing the elegance of Chinese women in the new era, and strengthening self-respect, self-confidence and self-reliance.

(2) Cooperating with CCTV to Produce and Broadcast a Special TV Program Titled "Encouraging Innovation"

On April 26, to arouse the enthusiasm of the public for invention and innovation, the SIPO cooperated with CCTV to produce and broadcast a special TV program titled "Encouraging Innovation" for World Intellectual Property Day.

The Opening Ceremony of Publicity Activities.

Consulting on Issues of Intellectual  Property Protection.

(3) The SIPO and Related Agencies of the Beijing Municipality Organized Celebrating Activities for World Intellectual Property Day at Wangfujing, Commercial Center of Beijing.

On April 26, the SIPO, the Municipal IP Administration and other related agencies of the Beijing Municipality, and the Government of Dongcheng District of Beijing co-organized outreaching activities for World Intellectual Property Day on Wangfujing Street. Deputy Commissioner Ma Lianyuan and Secretary General Chen Zhonghua attended the opening ceremony. About 100 staff members from related departments of the SIPO, administrations of the Beijing Municipality and those courts related to IP and Customs publicized IP legal knowledge and spoke to thousands of passers-by at the gate of Wangfujing Book Store. To support this activity, Wangfujing Book Store also organized an exhibition on intellectual property books.

(4) The First National "Sci-Star" TV Competition of the Youth

In order to foster interest in science, encourage invention and creation, and raise their awareness of protecting IPRs among young people, the SIPO together with the Communist Youth League, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the China Academy of Science, and the National Student Federation initiated the First National "Sci-Star" TV Competition for young people.

5. Major Events
Domestic:

 1. On January 12, the SIPO and the Wuhan Municipality held the Discussion and Demonstration Meeting on the Implementing Plan of Wuhan Intellectual Property Center - Light Valley of China.

 2. From January 29 to 31, in order to further study and adhere to the Speech of "July First" and the spirits of the Fifth and Sixth Central Sessions of the Fifteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Central Economic Working Conference and the National Patent Conference, to keep in line with the requirements of the theory of "Three Representatives" and the important instruction to the SIPO given by the State Council, and to review the work of the SIPO over the past year, to discuss and formulate the major working plan of intellectual property work in 2002, the Communist Leading Group of the SIPO held a meeting for all communists working in the SIPO.

 3. On March 21, the First Joint Meeting of the Leading Group of Patent Pilot Work was held at the Model Zone of Yangling Agricultural High-tech Industry in Shaanxi, in which Commissioner Wang Jingchuan and Vice Provincial Governor Chen Yuxing participated.

 4. From March 14 to 16, to further strengthen and standardize the work of the branches of the SIPO, the National Annual Meeting of Branches in Guangzhou was organized by the SIPO.

 5. From March 26 to 27, the SIPO and the State Economic and Trade Commission co-organized the National Working Meeting of the Patent Pilot Enterprises and Institutes. Commissioner Wang Jingchuan and Mr. Xie Xuren, Vice Minister of the State Economic and Trade Commission, attended the meeting and made speeches, in which heads from 60 enterprises and institutes participated.

 6. From March 28 to 31, the SIPO held the National Working Meeting on Patent Training in Yunnan, in which officials from IP administrations from thirty-one provinces and cities participated. Deputy Commissioner Tian Lipu attended the meeting and made a speech.

 7. In March, the database of patents related to Chinese traditional medicine for patent search and examination was put in use.

 8. From April 3 to 5, the SIPO organized the Seminar on Entry into the WTO and Intellectual Property Protection in Beijing, in which more than 150 domestic representatives participated.

 9. On April 8, the State Approval and Supervision Administration Committee composed of eighteen government departments including the SIPO held the First Plenary Session on Establishing the National Authentication and Approval Inner-Governmental Joint Committee, in which Deputy Commissioner Tian Lipu as a member of the Joint Committee participated.

 10. During celebrations of April 26, in honor of World Intellectual Property Day, the SIPO carried out outreaching and publicizing activities with the topic of "Encouraging Innovation."

 11. On April 26, the revised English version of the SIPO governmental web site was put into use.

 12. In April, the SIPO established a leading group on the social science research and patent strategy promotion project.

 13. In April, the Reexamination Board of the SIPO established a periodical meeting system for professional discussions.

 14. Before May 1, the SIPO finished upgrading the EPOQUE and JAVA patent search and examination systems.

 15. On May 23, Beijing Municipality and six agencies under the State Council including the SIPO co-organized the Fifth International Fair for Scientific and Technological Industries in Beijing.

 16. From May 29 to 31, the SIPO held an IP training seminar for the southwest part of China in Chongqing.

 17. In May, the SIPO successfully dealt in a timely manner with twenty-two proposals and motions raised during the 5th Session of the Ninth NPC and the 5th Session of the Ninth CPPCC.

 18. On June 6, the SIPO set up a research unit on PCT reform.

 19. On June 18, the SIPO and the Wuhan Municipality co-organized a ceremony for establishing the Wuhan Intellectual Property Center - China's Light Valley, and logging its web site on the Internet at the New High-tech Zone of Donghu, Wuhan, and, on the same day, also held the Intellectual Property Protection Forum.

20. From June 20 to 21, the SIPO held the National Working Meeting of Patent Pilot Cities in Wuhan.

 21. On July 1, the SIPO held a ceremony to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party.

 22. On July 23, the SIPO and the Changchun Municipality organized a ceremony for the establishment of the National Model Zone for Implementing an IP System at the Changchun High-tech Developing Zone, which formally initiated the IP pilot work.

 23. From August 13 to 14, the National Working Meeting on Patent Administrative Enforcement was held in Urumqi, Xinjiang, on which Deputy Commissioner Xing Shengcai delivered a speech and in which several persons from the IP circle participated.

 24. On August 15, the SIPO for the first time invited some Representatives of the NPC and Members of the CPPCC to a seminar on patent examination and other IP issues. On the same day, the SIPO and the Economy Daily co-organized the Forum on Intellectual Property and Core Competitiveness.

 25. From August 26 to 28, the SIPO organized the Training Seminar on Patent Strategies for Managers of Large Enterprises in Yinchuan, Ningxia, in which about seventy persons from large enterprises all over the country participated.

 26. On August 30, to welcome the Sixteenth Conference of the National Representatives of the Chinese Communist Party, the SIPO organized a public lecture on intellectual property. Commissioner Wang Jingchuan emphasized in his report titled "Positively Carrying out Patent Strategies, Improving and Enhancing National Competitiveness" that we must shoulder the dual historic responsibilities to positively carry out patent strategies.

 27. In August, in order to further implement the function authorized by the State Council to comprehensively coordinate foreign-related IP issues, the SIPO established the Leading Group on Foreign-related IP Work.

 28. In August, the SIPO set up the Leading Group on Information Work.

 29. From September 8 to 13, to support the construction of the railway from Qinghai to Tibet, the SIPO set up a special research team on the protection and utilization of patented processing technology related to construction on frozen soil and for the first time carried out an on-site investigation along the railway.

 30. From September 11 to 12, the SIPO held the National Working Meeting on the Recording of Patent Licensing Contracts in Weihai, Shandong.

 31. From September 25 to 27, the SIPO organized the Intellectual Property Training Seminar for Enterprises and Institutes in Northwest China in Lanzhou, Gansu, in which more than eighty representatives from five provinces and autonomous regions in Northwest China participated.

 32. From September 27 to 29, the SIPO and the Liaoning Provincial Government co-organized the 2002 China International Trade Fair of Patented Technologies and Products in Dalian.

 33. From October 12 to 14, the SIPO organized the National Training Seminar on Patent Administrative Enforcement in Jinggangshan, Jiangxi, in which about 100 persons from local IP administrations all over the country participated.

 34. From October 15 to 17, the SIPO organized the Training Seminar for Heads Responsible for Patent Work from the First Group of National Patent Pilot Enterprises and Institutes, in which more than seventy representatives from the pilot enterprises and institutes and their local IP administrations participated.

 35. On October 22, the SIPO was honored with the Title of Outstanding Agency for its efficiency in dealing with motions initiated by Members of the CPPCC at its awarding ceremony.

 36. From October 23 to 25, the National Working Meeting on the Social Science Research in the Aspect of Patent rights was held in Chengdu, Sichuan, in which more than seventy representatives from local IP administrations in about thirty provinces, autonomous regions and cities and units responsible for the social science research participated.

 37. From October 26 to 27, the SIPO organized the 2002 National Examination for Qualification of Patent Agents at the same time in six cities, in which more 3200 persons participated.

 38. In October, Comrade Wang Jingchuan was selected as a representative of the Sixteenth Conference of the National Representatives of the Chinese Communist Party.

 39. From October 29 to November 2, the SIPO together with the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the CPC, the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC, and the State Economic and Trade Commission, co-organized a training seminar for IP teachers from the Party schools and economic administration colleges at the provincial level, in which more than forty persons from the schools and colleges participated.

 40. From November 5 to 9, the SIPO together with sixteen ministries and commissions and Shaanxi Provincial Government co-organized the Ninth China-Yangling Fair on Agricultural New High technology Achievements. Deputy Commissioner Xing Shengcai attended the opening ceremony of the Fair. During the Fair, the Forum on Agricultural Intellectual Property was also organized.

 41. From November 8 to 10, the SIPO and the Anhui Provincial Government co-organized the China-Hefei Trading Fair on New and High Technologies.

 42. From December 9 to 10, the SIPO, the IP Department of Hong Kong SAR and the Economic Department of Macao SAR co-organized the Mainland, Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR Intellectual Property Seminar in Guangzhou, in which about 150 representatives and legal workers from the three regions participated.

 43. From December 12 to 13, the SIPO held the National Conference for Directors of Local IP Administrations in Beijing.

 44. From December 12 to 16, the SIPO organized the 2002 China Industrial Designs Forum in Shenzhen. Meanwhile, a series of activities such as Award for Innovative Designs of Products for Chinese Enterprises, China Industrial Design Exhibition, and the On-site Design Innovation Award were organized.

Foreign:

 1. From March 25 to 27, Deputy Commissioner Ma Lianyuan led a Chinese delegation to attend the Conference on the International Patent System organized by the WIPO in Geneva.

 2. From April 15 to 19, the SIPO, as a coordination agency, dispatched representatives to attend the 38th Session of UPOV, the 45th Meeting of the Administrative and Legal Committee, the 63rd Meeting of the Advisory Committee and the 19th Special Meeting of the Board.

 3. The WIPO and the SIPO for the first time co-organized the Sino-African Intellectual Property Forum from May 21 to 23 and the Second International Forum on Creativity and Invention from May 21 to 23 in Beijing.

 4. From June 10 to 14, the SIPO dispatched representatives to attend the 7th Plenary Session of the Standing Committee on Information Technologies of the WIPO held in Geneva.

 5. From June 24 to 28, the SIPO dispatched representatives to attend the TRIPS Council of the WTO to discuss on the issue of public health and pharmaceutical patents.

 6. From July 1 to 5, the SIPO dispatched representatives to attend the 2nd Session of the PCT Reform Committee held in Geneva to discuss the amended draft of the PCT Regulations passed in the General Assembly in September. During the same period, the EPO and the SIPO co-organized a training seminar for new examiners from the SIPO and other IP offices from developing countries in Beijing.

 7. On July 30, the 5th Plenary Session of the Chinese Association of AIPPI generated a new board, on which Commissioner Wang Jingchuan and Deputy Commissioner Tian Lipu were elected as President and Vice President of the Association, respectively.

 8. From September 23 to October 1, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan led the Chinese delegation to attend the 37th Assembly of the WIPO held in Geneva. 

9. From November 4 to 5, to acquaint our enterprises with the PCT and to take a better advantage of it, the SIPO and the WIPO co-organized the WIPO PCT National Roving Seminar at the China Intellectual Property Training Center, in which about 100 representatives from large enterprises, foreign-related IP agencies and the SIPO participated.

 10. From November 23 to 25, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan led a delegation to attend the Second Political Dialogue Meeting among the SIPO, JPO and KIPO and the Ninth Joint Meeting between the SIPO and JPO.

2013-07-17