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    A seminar aimed at strengthening co-operation between Guangdong and Hong Kong on intellectual property matters, especially those concerning small and medium enterprises (SMEs), was held in Huizhou today (June 7).

    A second seminar will be held in Jiangmen, Guangdong Province, on Thursday (June 9).

    The "2005 Guangdong/Hong Kong Seminar on Intellectual Property and the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (Huizhou)" and the "2005 Guangdong/Hong Kong Seminar on Intellectual Property and Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (Jiangmen)" are organised by the Intellectual Property Department (IPD) of the HKSAR Government, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Guangdong Provincial Intellectual Property Office.

    The Director of Intellectual Property, Mr Stephen Selby, said these seminars were a continuing co-operative effort between Hong Kong and Guangdong to promote intellectual property protection. They follow on the success of similar seminars organised in Dongguan, Shaoguan and Shunde in 2004.

    "We shall grasp the opportunities brought about by the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) to further explore co-operation between Hong Kong and Guangdong Province in the areas of trade in services and intellectual property," Mr Selby said.

    "The seminars in Huizhou and Jiangmen are intended to show SMEs in both regions how intellectual property can be used as a tool for wealth creation. They will concentrate on the need to ensure that enterprises protect their patents, designs and trademarks both in Hong Kong and the Mainland as each place has separate IP laws and regulations."

    Huizhou is an important industrial city in Guangdong for electronic and digital products, and is one of the world's largest manufacturing bases of televisions, batteries and optical pickups.  Jiangmen is a famous production centre in the Pearl River Delta for motorcycles and fittings, as well as electrical equipment and home appliances. Many Hong Kong enterprises have already established strong links or investment bases in these cities.

    The seminars, each with more than 250 participants from various industries and government administrations, provide a platform for local SMEs to keep abreast of the intellectual property developments in the region.

    The Huizhou Seminar was organised by the Guangdong Provincial Intellectual Property Office, the Huizhou Municipal People's Government, the IPD and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. It was co-organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong, the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Rights Council of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries and the Intellectual Property Bureau of Huizhou.

    The Jiangmen Seminar is organised by the Guangdong Provincial Intellectual Property Office, the Jiangmen Municipal People's Government, the IPD and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. It is co-organised by the Science and Technology Bureau of Jiangmen, the Intellectual Property Bureau of Jiangmen, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong and the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Rights Council of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries.

    For details of the seminars, please visit the IPD's website at www.ipd.gov.hk.

Ends/Tuesday, June 7, 2005

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