The EU-China IPR2 project has a new work plan with some 35 activities aimed at reinforcing the Chinese legal framework; building the capacity of the Chinese legislative, judicial and administrative authorities; improving access to information for users and officials; and providing support to right holders.

This follows close consultation with the Chinese IP authorities and marks the project's first anniversary, having been launched by former EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and Vice-Minister Yu Guangzhou in November 2007 alongside the EU-China Seminar on Enforcement of IPR at Trade Fairs in Beijing.

The key areas of support under the new work plan include:

• a revision of the Chinese Patent Law with the Chinese drafting team visiting patent experts and institutions in Europe;
• long-term training in European and Chinese IP law towards comprehensive and high quality IP education and reinforcing understanding of Chinese and European IPR systems and access to IP legislation;
• building communications and operations between European and Chinese enforcement authorities;
• prosecution of IP cases;
• building industry awareness of IP management practices and orientation towards IP protection;
• IP-related issues in the ICT sector; and
  
• copyrights on the Internet, with consideration for possible improvements to the Copyright Law as well as training to reinforce capacity for practical enforcement of copyright on-line.

The Project will also continue to support new publications under its Roadmap for IP Protection series for right holders.

Activities will take place in a number of cities in China - Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Wuxi, Xian and Zhongshan - as well as in Europe, and are built around recurrent and long-term training programmes, study tours to Europe, workshops, on-line training, seminars and expert exchanges. The work plan aims to address both the EU and China's strategic priorities at the technical level, while at the same time providing sufficient flexibility to respond to developments in the field of IP.

IPR2 is a partnership project between the European Commission and the People's Republic of China. Launched towards the end of 2007 in Beijing, it targets the reliability, efficiency and accessibility of the IP protection system, aiming for a sustainable environment for effective IPR enforcement in China.

The EPO is the European implementing organisation, who together with the Chinese implementing organisation, the Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of Commerce of China, has an office based in Beijing. The EPO is supported in specific areas with expertise from its Member States and the Office for the Harmonisation of the Internal Market (OHIM), responsible for registering the European Community's Trademarks and Designs.

(Source: http://www.epo.org/)

2013-07-17