The Third China Patent Week, organized by the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), will be held Nov 12 to Nov 16 in Guangzhou, the capital of southern coastal Guangdong province.

Ma Weiye, director general of the office's department of patent management, said parallel sessions will also take place in 31 provinces and cities across China.

This year's Patent Week will focus on the themes of implementing the national intellectual property strategy, coping with the current financial crisis and building a more innovative China, Ma said.

The event will feature a range of related activities including exhibitions of patented technologies and products, as well as several promotions and forums in the field of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). It is expected that this year's event will underline its status as China's leading platform for patent development.

Other highlights of the five-day event will include a program of activities targeted specifically at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the challenges represented by the global financial downturn.

Guangzhou, the main venue of the week, will host several exhibitions and trade fairs for those SMEs suffering as a result of the ongoing economic slowdown. These sessions are aimed to provide opportunities for communications, exchanges and future cooperation.

The sessions taking place outside of Guangzhou will be tailored to address the needs of various local markets.

In Shanghai, for instance, the event will center on the 2010 Shanghai Expo and emphasize newly patented technologies and products that relate directly to the fair.

In Sichuan, the sessions will be directly related to the reconstruction carried out in the province in the wake of the 2008 earthquake. It will also highlight the current challenges facing businesses in the area.

A number of exhibitions and trade fairs relating to patented technologies will also be held in Sichuan to coincide with the event and promote the national strategy.

Other activities involving a high-profile display of proprietary technologies, projects and products will be featured at all regional events.

Patent Week organizers said one goal was to encourage startup businesses to adopt proprietary technology, and another was to encourage SMEs to fully realize their proprietary intellectual property capabilities.

The opening ceremony will take place in Guangzhou on Nov 12.

(Source: China Daily)