On the morning of April 21, the 2008 China High-Level Forum on Intellectual Property Rights Protection is held in Shanghai International Convention Center in Pudong District. Fu Shuangjian, Deputy Director of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, Yan Xiaohong, Deputy Commissioner of National Copyright Administration, Zhang Qin, Deputy Commissioner of SIPO, Zhao Wen, Vice Mayor of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, Li Xiaomin, Vice Governor of Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government and Francis Gurry, Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) participate in the opening ceremony.

In his speech, Mr. Zhang Qin points out that intellectual property is currently playing an increasingly important role in economic and social development. Only by reasonably, effectively and sufficiently protecting IPR can China realize sound and rapid economic and social development. He notes that Chinese Government will continue to strengthen IPR protection in a responsible attitude, fully implement its international obligation of IPR protection and intensify its cooperation with other countries and international organizations worldwide to promote the establishment of a sound environment of IP system.

Mr. Zhang says China is currently modifying its Patent Law for the third time and the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council is widely soliciting public views, hoping to obtain valuable opinions and suggestions from all walks of life.

Themed with “Innovation, Protection and Development,” the forum is jointly sponsored by the Organizing Committee of “IPR Protection Publicity Week” and Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, and is jointly held by Shanghai Municipal Office of Intellectual Property Protection and China Europe International Business School. More than 700 governmental officials, enterprise representatives and IP scholars attend the forum and 20 experts deliver keynote speeches.

Participants of the forum