Source:China IP News
The horses neighed, the strings of the zither resonated melodiously, and the fervent Nadam festival, along with the harmonious bowl dance, welcomed guests from all directions... Recently, the closing ceremony of the 14th National Winter Games of China (referred to as the "14th Winter Games") was held in Hulunbuir City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In this edition of the winter sports event, hailed as the largest in scale, with the most diverse range of events and the highest standards in China, elements of intellectual property (IP) shone brightly.
Protection in place: building dreams in northern frontier
Harmonizing a new winter sports melody, singing grassland songs together, IP protection was everywhere in the event. "Before the event, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Intellectual Property Protection Center (the Center) took the initiative to cooperate with the preparatory committee of the '14th Winter Games', providing refined and professional IP protection services for sports events, helping register special marks such as the name, emblem, mascot, and slogan of the '14th Winter Games'," Lu Na, Director of the Center, told our reporter.
In January of this year, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) approved eight special mark registration applications, including the "14th National Winter Games" submitted by the Executive Committee Office of the "14th Winter Games" in Hulunbuir. On February 4, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Administration for Market Regulation (IP Administration) issued the "Work Plan for Intellectual Property Protection of the 14th National Winter Games", building a firewall for protecting IPRs related to the event.
The main competition venues of the "14th Winter Games" are mainly located in Hulunbuir City, Hinggan League, and Zhalantun City. These three regions have tailored policies and waged special campaigns to strengthen IP protection according to local conditions. They have performed inspections on the use of the "14th Winter Games" special logo by cultural and creative product distributors, tourism souvenir shops, sponsors of the "14th Winter Games", licensed manufacturers, and authorized sellers, rigorously cracking down on any infringement of the IPRs of the "14th Winter Games", and ensuring the success of the event with full strength.
Interactive fusion of virtual and real:innovation shines
At the opening ceremony of the "14th Winter Games", the creative team integrated digital technology with real scenes, creating a panoramic space through various image carriers such as floor screens, standing screens, and top circular projections, to craft an exquisite world of light and shadow. "We utilized augmented reality (AR) virtual visual effects to break through the spatial limitations of indoor sports venues, showcasing the 'Chinese style, ethnic charm, northern frontier flavor, sporting vitality, and sports spirit' through the interaction of virtual and real, highlighting the speed and passion of ice and snow sports," said Sha Xiaolan, the chief event director of the opening ceremony of the "14th Winter Games".
Zhalantun Jinlongshan Ski Resort in Hulunbuir City is one of the main competition venues for the "14th Winter Games". "The event security special station can achieve refined monitoring of wind, temperature, visibility, snow temperature, and snow depth. It serves as a hardware guarantee for the objective analysis and forecasting products of three-dimensional and multi-dimensional meteorological elements in high-altitude competition areas, providing stronger support for the meteorological security of the '14th Winter Games'," said Liu Boyuan, project manager of Aerospace New Meteorological Technology Co.,Ltd., a subsidiary of the Twenty Third Institute of the Second Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation. He told reporter that the company has patent portfolio plans in the areas of meteorological sensors, data collectors, and special station systems. Currently, they have been granted 52 invention patents, 17 utility model patents, and 11 design patents.
Colorful intangible cultural heritage, brilliant cultural and creative products
As the spring festival encountered the "14th Winter Games", "Ice and snow white" and "Chinese red" complement each other, infusing unique vitality into intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and cultural creativity.
At the opening ceremony of the "14th Winter Games", the paper-cutting scenes during the parade of participating delegations added a lively atmosphere of the Spring Festival. Outside the venue, Wang Qingxiu, a representative ICH inheritor of paper-cutting from Liangcheng County, Ulanqab City, showcased her skill of crafting the emblem of the "14th Winter Games" through paper-cutting. The images of the mascots of the "14th Winter Games", "Anda" and "Sainu", she crafted were particularly vivid and lifelike.
In an authorized retail cultural and creative shop for the "14th Winter Games" located in Hulunbuir Old Town, Hailar District, limited edition sunflower ornaments incorporating elements of the "14th Winter Games" and the Chinese Year of Dragon are particularly favored. These ornaments feature the emblem of the "14th Winter Games" on one side and the traditional Ewenki ethnic handmade fur craft of sunflower patterns on the other side. "We invited local ICH inheritors to handcraft the sunflowers, making each one unique," said Xu Weijing, head of Hulunbuir Mengwu Cultural Communication Co.,Ltd.
Legend says that there was a girl named Xiwen Wunaji who brought light and warmth to the Ewenki people. In gratitude, the Ewenki people crafted sunflower ornaments using fur and beautiful colored stones, naming them after her. In 2015, Xiwen Wunaji of the Ewenki ethnic group, was included in the fifth batch of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region's list of protected ICHs.
Gathering at the "14th Winter Games", a colorful season of ice and snow, Chinese athletes dream at the northern frontier, giving everything they have on the field. IP, like a shadow, witnesses a new chapter in China's ice and snow sports. (by Zhang Binbin)
