post Wednesday September 28, 2011
September 13,2011 Senior officials from the European Commission, the European Patent Office (EPO), the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) and the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union, signed Joint Conclusions to continue their co-operation on intellectual property rights (IPR) after the successful completion of a four-year joint project.
This project is called IPR2, EU-China Project for the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights. Experts and professionals from different disciplines have joined this framework and implemented more than 200 technical assistance and training activities across China from 2007-2011 stated on the website of Delegation of the European Union to China.
IPR2 started in 2007 between EU and China to promote intellectual property protection in China. This project is launched with EUR 13.8 million, financed by EU with contributions from China. The Delegation of the European Union to China states that the purpose of IPR2 is to improve the reliability, efficiency and accessibility of the IP protection system in China by way of establishing a sustainable environment for effective IPR enforcement in China. Common interests between the two initiatives, together with a sharing of resources, have maximized results of the IPR2 co-operation program. Expert collaboration and training support to the private sector, and best practice initiatives in IPR enforcement have involved thousands of government officials, companies and scholars from China and Europe.
Both parties have given positive feedbacks to the results of the IPR2 and signed joint conclusions to continue collaboration. Mr. Jean-Luc Demarty, Director General for Trade in the European Commission, commented on the Joint Statement: “Intellectual Property rights play a strategic role in driving growth, innovation and the creation of markets for enterprises, in particular SMEs, both in the EU and China and globally. Europe and China both recognize that a mutual understanding of IP protection issues and a further improved environment for IPR enforcement in China are key factors for economic growth and a decisive element in EU-China trade and investment relations. Creating expert links between both sides have been and continue to be a highly effective means of addressing specific areas of mutual interest.”
In recent years, China has been criticized for faking international brands from faking Apple store to knock out Nike shoes. Many international brands have expressed their concerns about potential or current infringement of their intellectual properties. IPR2 can be a sign to show that Chinese government is trying to enhance the overall reliability of its intellectual property protection system.
Through the last 4 years of cooperation, China and EU officials and leading industry experts have implemented more than 200 technical assistance and training activities across China from 2007 to 2011. Michael Ellis from European Brands Association (AIM) and EU Representative of QBPC considered the 4 year project have enhance IP awareness within private industry and increased proactive enforcement actions in china, including training seminars, IP education programs, collaboration with industry, customs seizures and the China police special campaigns.
For more information about IPR2, please visit: http://www.ipr2.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=12&Itemid=89
