The Seminar on Intellectual Property and SMEs' Development was held in Shenzhen, which was organized by the Intellectual Property Administration of Guangdong Province, the Intellectual Property Administration of Shenzhen Municipality, IP Department of HKSAR, Trade and Development Bureau of HKSAR, and assisted by the WTO Business Center of Shenzhen, Trade and Economic Branch Office of HKSAR in Guangdong Province. More than 300 representatives of SMEs from Hong Kong and Shenzhen attended the seminar.

Mr. Li Zhongduo, Director General of the Intellectual Property Administration of Guangdong Province, said that the Hong Kong investment has been the first among all kinds of outside investment in Guangdong since the reform and opening-up and made a great contribution to the economic development of Guangdong province. In the past, Guangdong mainly attracted investors through favorable policies, convenient traffic and abundant human resources, but now we need to strengthen IP protection to create a better investment environment. Mr. Stephen Selby, Director of HK IP Department, pointed out that with the closer relationship between HKSAR and Guangdong Province, the economic coordination and compensation between them has become the developing trend for their economy. We must further improve our trade policies and related facilities to provide an ideal business environment, and establish an modern intellectual property protection and administration system.

On the seminar, the representatives of IP administrations introduced the structures and organizations in the IP protection of Mainland and HKSAR, related laws and regulations, and new developments of IP protection, to encourage SMEs to further develop them with IPR system. The Seminar also invited officials from Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee to introduce the policies and regulations on IP protection of the Olympic Game and franchise business planing during 2008 Beijing Olympic Game, to encourage SMES to grab the business opportunities of Beijing Olympic. Lawyers, entrepreneurs and scholars from HKSAR made presentations on the successful case studies and experience sharing of IP administration in enterprises.

2003-09-23

2003-09-23