Recently the State Council approved the Circular on Strengthening IPR of Chinese Enterprises at Overseas Exhibitions (hereinafter referred to as the Circular), in which the enterprises for overseas exhibitions are required to intensify their IP administration in order to safeguard the legitimate interest of Chinese enterprises, set up a good image of protecting IP. The circular was a joint effort by State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), etc.
The Circular proposes 10 measures to cover the prevention, aid and assistance to enterprises. The Circular guides enterprises to strengthen their IPR management for overseas exhibitions and urge them to self-examine the IP rights of exhibited products. Communicated and coordination with the foreign organizers of exhibitions are essential. It is also important to obtain a further understanding of the related IP laws and regulations of the country where the exhibition is held and refer to the foreign organizer the concern from Chinese enterprises. More efforts should be made against the abuse of IP rights. Research should be made to set up mechanisms for overseas enforcement and dispute settlement. The circular also encourages enterprises to apply for and purchase foreign IP rights to avoid or reduce the IP disputes.
The Circular also requires that cooperation mechanism should be established among enterprises so as to concentrate their resources on IP disputes and reduce the risks and share the cost. The governments at all level are required to take an active role in helping the enterprises, coordinate the IP work, and set up mechanism for information exchange.
