Source: China IP News

During the China-Africa High-Level Seminar on IP System and Polices held in Guangdong on July 24, SIPO (State Intellectual Property office) Commissioner Shen Changyu sat down respectively with some of the esteemed attendees, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Legal Counsel and Head, Legal and Constitutional Affairs Edward K. Kwakwa, African Regional IP Organization (ARIPO) Director General Fernando Dos Santos and South Africa's Companies and IP Commission (CIPC) Commissioner Rory Wayne Voller.

In a meeting with Edward K. Kwakwa, Shen affirmed SIPO's dedication to international IP cooperation.  The ongoing seminar would pave way in further expanding and strengthening such collaboration between the two offices. Shen wished such comprehensive collaboration would become wider and deeper with confluence of efforts from both sides. Kwakwa appreciated SIPO's constant support to WIPO for many years, and hoped two sides would keep in close touch and continue implementing the established cooperation goals.  He believed that China would play an increasingly pivotal role in global IP norm-setting activities.

"With the continuous development of global IP undertakings, the importance of IP system and policy planning have become increasingly prominent. I'd like to take this opportunity to share China's latest IP development information with African countries and exchange views on IP system and policy making," said Shen when talking to Fernando Dos Santos. Dos Santos reviewed that since the cooperation agreement was signed in 2007, the two sides executed effective steps in the fields of staff training and patent documentation management while expressing his will to more profound and fruitful cooperation in the future.

In a private session with Rory Wayne Voller, Shen said that South Africa and China were both BRICS members and good friends forged on the basis of equity and mutual trust, extensive cooperation, mutual benefit and common development. "I hope this seminar will facilitate mutual understanding between China and African countries including South Africa, and lay a solid foundation for deepening practical cooperation and reaching more common grounds," added Shen. Waller applauded the ever-enhancing cooperation between SIPO and CIPC under the framework of BRICS. He would very much like to see more intensive and effective cooperation in IP enforcement in the future.

The seminar, organized by SIPO and WIPO was themed on IP system development and practice, IP promotion and service, public IP awareness raise. The seminar will last for a week. 50 senior representatives from WIPO, ARIPO and its member states, Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, IP office of South Africa and China IP community participated this seminar.

2017-08-02

2017-08-02