In 2004, the Office participated in the development and reform of international rules with a more positive attitude and further developed and expanded international cooperation.

1. Multilateral Cooperation

April 19, Mr. Geoffrey Yu, Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) visited the Office and met Commissioner Wang Jingchuan and Deputy Commissioner Li Yuguang.

April 20 to 21, in Beijing the Office, the Development and Research Center of the State Council and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development co-organized the High-level Workshop on Intellectual Property Rights and Economic Development in China: Meeting Challenges and Opportunities Following WTO Entry.

May 13 to 15, Deputy Commissioner Zhang Qin made a presentation on the Chinese industrial design protection system at an international conference on industrial design in Venice, Italy.

May 24 to 25, WIPO National Seminar on  Intellectual Property Education and Training, was jointly held by the SIPO and the WIPO at the China Intellectual Property Training Center. Mr. Mpazi Sinjela, Director of the WIPO Worldwide Academy (WWA), Mr. Kari Sipila, Director of Future Innovations in Finland and the representatives from the Office and department heads of the Office, discussing the latest developments in international IP society, education of IP professionals in the knowledge economy, IP education and training in China, IP teaching methods in university and other higher learning institutes and curriculum setup.

March 24, Deputy Commissioner Lin Binghui speaks at the opening ceremony of the WIPO National Seminar
on Intellectual Property Education and Training. 

June 12, the Seminar on the Advantages of the 1991 Act of the UPOV and International Cooperation of New Varieties of Plants, was jointly organized by the SIPO, Ministry of Agriculture, State Forestry Administration and the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) in Beijing. Deputy Commissioner Li Yuguang attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech.

September 27 to October 5, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan led the Chinese delegation, comprising the Office, State Administration for Industry and Commerce, National Copyright Administration and Chinese permanent mission to the United Nations and its organizations in Geneva, to attend the 40th Series of Meetings of the Assembly of the WIPO. The delegation participated actively in the discussion of an array of topics, establishing development agenda, fees adjustment of the PCT, new plan for the SCP, request from the CBD, protection of the broadcasting organizations and the Trademark Law Treaty. Between the sessions, the delegation also met Dr. Kamil Idris, Director General of the WIPO and senior officials from several WIPO member states.

Commissioner Wang Jingchuan (R), Ambassador to UN in Geneva Sha Zukang (M) and HKIPD Director Stephen Selby
at the WIPO's 40th Series of Meetings of the Assembly.

During the WIPO Assembly, the Chinese delegation organized a children paintings exhibition, Intellectual Property in Children's Eyes, at the WIPO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The 100-meter-long paintings, created in 2001 by children from Heilongjiang province for the promotion of IPR awareness, became a popular scene at the meeting venue.

October 18, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan met the visiting Mr. Francis Gurry, WIPO Deputy Director General and exchanged views on the latest developments of the international IP system and discussed cooperation in the areas of PCT and traditional knowledge.

December 15, WIPO Asian Regional Workshop on Intellectual Property (IP) for Managers and Staff of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and SME Support Institutions, organized by the SIPO and WIPO, assisted by the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) and Japan Patent Office (JPO) and operated by the Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration, was held in Shanghai. Ms. Yan Junqi, Shanghai Vice Mayor and Deputy Commissioner Li Yuguang delivered keynote speeches at the opening ceremony. Some 100 participants from 22 Asia-Pacific countries and Chinese governments, research institutes and SMEs attended. In the three-day seminar, officials, experts and scholars discussed in-depth how to establish IP marketing and brand strategy, how SMEs leverage IP to their business competitiveness, the use and development of IP assets by SMEs, dispute settlement and effective exploitation of IP.

2. Bilateral Cooperation

February 9, Director Genera Ms. Liew Woon Yin of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) visited the Office and had a formal bilateral meeting with Commissioner Wang Jingchuan and Deputy Commissioner Tian Lipu. The two sides signed a memo on the cooperative framework and a memo on the cooperation between the China Intellectual Property Training Center and Singapore Training Institute, establishing a favorable foundation for further cooperation.

Heads of SIPO-Singapore IP Office meeting.

February 10, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan and Deputy Commissioner Tian Lipu met Three-Star Army General Daniel Christman (Retired), Vice President of the US Chamber of Commerce.

Commissioner Wang Jingchuan and Deputy Commissioner Tian Lipu with senior management of the American Chamber of Commerce.

February 19, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan met the Japanese delegation of Japan-China Association. Commissioner Wang wished the Japanese friends to view China from a developmental prospective, intensify communications, seek bilateral cooperation through common grounds and find solutions.

February 19 to 27, the Office and the EPO jointly held a series of large international symposiums on intellectual property and enterprise development in Haerbin, Heilongjiang, Shenyang, Liaoning and Tianjin respectively. The symposiums drew a total of over 500 participants. Deputy Commissioner Tian Lipu attended the events in Haerbin and Shenyang. Deputy Commissioner Li Yuguang attended the Tianjin symposium.

March 2, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan and Deputy Commissioner Li Yuguang held a high-level bilateral talk with the visiting Mr. Jon Dudas, Acting Director of the USPTO. With the constant growth of trade volume, China and the US pay more and more attention to IPR issues, which are closely related to trade. Therefore the meeting carried heavy weight. As members of the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, both heads confirmed the impact of the extensive IPR cooperation to the healthy and constant development of the trade between China and the United States. The talk was engaged in a sincere and down-to-earth atmosphere. Both sides shared satisfaction with the results and confirmed the continuation of the dialogue mechanism.

March 2, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan and Deputy Commissioner Li Yuguang holds top-level bilateral talk
with USPTO Director Jon Dudas.

April 19, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan met Mr. Ian Heath, Director General of IP Australia and Mr. Neville Harris, Director General of the New Zealand Intellectual Property Office.

May 11, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan met a delegation of 20 senior government officials and civilians from Japan and sincerely exchanged views with them on IPR protection issues of their great concern.

May 20, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan and Deputy Commissioner Li Yuguang met Mr. Alexander Schaub, Director General of DG Internal Market of the EU. Both sides exchanged opinions on IP protection and explored possibilities of strengthening bilateral cooperation. The two sides agreed to intensify communication and contacts, send officials to each other's organization for field study and further understanding the other's IP laws and system.

May 22 to 29, a team of three led by Mr. Mzondi Chirambo, Director General of the African Regional Industrial Property Organization (ARIPO) visited China, studying China's policies and legal framework concerning the protection of traditional knowledge and databases of traditional Chinese medicine of the Office and relevant institutes.

May 24 to June 4, Deputy Commissioner Li Yuguang led a group of IT experts to the Swedish Patent and Registration Office and EPO. During its visit in Sweden, both offices agreed to further enhance the second phase bilateral cooperation and signed a memo. While in EPO, both sides found common ground in multiple issues such as automation, information services and other areas.

Signing ceremony of the inter-governmental IP cooperation agreement between China and Italy.

June 8, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan in representing the Chinese government and Mr. Antonio Marzano, Minister for Productive Activities of Italy signed the Agreement of Cooperation on Intellectual Property between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Italy. The agreement provides cooperation in the IP field, for example, exchanging opinions on major issues of international IP development, experiences in international cooperation, information concerning the multilateral international IP treaties acceded by both sides and their implementation.

June 9 to 18, invited by the French National Institute of Industrial Property and Italian Ministry of Productive Activities, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan visited France and Italy. During the French visit, Commissioner Wang attended the 18th Joint Meeting between the two offices and exchanged opinions with the industry and law society. While in Italy, Commissioner Wang exchanged opinions on implementing the IP cooperation agreement concluded on June 8, with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Productive Activities, Ministry of Culture and the Patent and Trademark Office of the Ministry of Productive Activities.

June 18, Deputy Commissioner Tian Lipu met USPTO Acting Director Jon Dudas in the Office.

July 5, Deputy Commissioner Zhang Qin met Mr. Paul Vandoren, Deputy Director for New Technologies, IP and Public Procurement under DG Trade of the European Union. Mr. Zhang briefly introduced the latest information of intellectual property protection in China. Mr. Vandoren showed appreciation to the efforts and developments the Chinese government made in IP protection, and expressed the will for closer communication and exchanges in IP. The talk deepened the understanding of both sides and would produce positive effects between China and EU in IP cooperation.

August 12, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan met Mr. Kanissorn Navanugraha, Director General of the Department of Intellectual Property of Thailand. Both sides had a friendly meeting. Mr. Wang reaffirmed the cooperation and communications between the two sides and wished new heights be reached in the future. Both sides signed a meeting memo, a foundation for further cooperation.

August 2 to 14, invited by the New Zealand IP Office and IP Australia, Deputy Commissioner Zhang Qin visited New Zealand and Australia.

August 18 to 23, Deputy Commissioner Xing Shengcai led the SIPO delegation to Malaysia and Thailand and introduced the latest developments of the IP protection system in China and was welcomed by the governments and companies.

August 19, Deputy Commissioner Xing Shengcai(L5, Front) visited the Thai IP Office.

September 13, Deputy Commissioner Li Yuguang met Mr. J. Frank Mermoud, Special Representative for Business Affairs of the US Department of State.

September 20 to 24, Mr. Ron Marchant, Director of the UK Patent Office visited the Office. On September 21, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan and Deputy Commissioner Li Yuguang attended the ninth bilateral meeting between the two offices. Both sides exchanged opinions on the new developments of the offices, development trend of the international IP system and cooperative activities the two offices intended to have in 2005. The 2005 cooperation plan was signed after the meeting.

September 22, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan met Dr. Charles M. Martin, President of the American Chamber of Commerce (China) and representatives from the member companies.

October 6 to 12, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan and Deputy Commissioner Li Yuguang visited the EPO and DG Internal Market of the EU. The15th SIPO-EPO Bilateral Meeting was held with the conclusion of the 2005 memo for bilateral technical cooperation.

October 20, Deputy Commissioner Li Yuguang met Mr. Thierry Stoll, Deputy Director General for IP Affairs of DG Internal Market, EU.

Deputy Commissioner Li Yuguang with Mr. Thierry Stoll, Deputy Director General of DG Internal Market, EU.

October 22, Deputy Commissioner Li Yuguang met Mr. Manuel Desantes, Vice President of the EPO at the China Intellectual Property Training Center, having a discussion on cooperation in training.

November 29 to December 1, Commissioner Wang Jingchuan visited Japan for the 11th SIPO-JPO commissioners?meeting, 10th SIPO-KIPO commissioners?meeting and the fourth policy dialogue of the heads of SIPO-JPO-KIPO. From December 2 to 7, he visited Australia and New Zealand, where he attended the SIPO-IP Australia, SIPO-NZIPO, and the trilateral SIPO-IP Australia-NZIPO meetings.

December 6 to 9, Deputy Commissioner He Hua met Mr. Al-Mannai, Deputy Director of the Patent Office of the Cooperation Council for the Arabic Nations of the Gulf visited the Office.

Deputy Commissioner He Hua(R4) with Mr. Al-Mannai(R3), VP of the Gulf Cooperative Council Patent Office.

December 20, Deputy Commissioner Li Yuguang met Mr. Josef Mayer, the Vice-Minister of the Economy and Labor Ministry of Austria.

3. Others

March 1, Deputy Commissioner Tian Lipu met the delegation of patent agents from Japan and the Republic of Korea.

May 17, the Office and the John Marshall Law School (JMLS) of the United States held the celebration for the 10th anniversary of cooperation. Commissioner Wang and JMLS Dean Patricia Mell also signed the Cooperative Agreement on Educating LLMs between the China Intellectual Property Training Center and the John Marshall Law School.

SIPO-JMLS Celebration ceremony.

July 5, Deputy Commissioner Zhang Qin met a delegation of the IP branch of the American Bar Association (ABA).

2013-07-17