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The "2013 Guangdong/Hong Kong Seminar on Intellectual Property (IP) and the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) (Qingyuan)" was held in Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province today (June 5).
The seminar, titled "IP Trading and Capitalisation", was aimed at Hong Kong small and medium enterprises and Mainland enterprises in Guangdong Province. It sought not only to strengthen enterprises' awareness of IP protection, but also to promote the use of IP trading in order to create their corporate image and sharpen their competitive edge.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Deputy Director of Intellectual Property, Ms Ada Leung, said the seminar served as a platform for SMEs to keep abreast of the latest IP systems and IP trading developments in the region.
"In the environment of intensified use of IP globally and the surge of demand of IP in the Mainland, it is now an opportune moment to drive the development of IP trading. Enterprises should act fast and know how to use their existing IPs to create wealth, as well as use IP as a key driver of business development and a springboard to tap the world market," said Ms Leung.
"The seminar is intended to introduce the latest development of IP systems and the professional IP services in Hong Kong and the Mainland, as well as the latest development of IP trading in Hong Kong. By learning the importance of IP protection and management and utilising IP-related services provided in the two regions, enterprises in the regions should be able to create their own brands effectively or use IP trading to gain the first-mover advantage," she added.
The seminar, which brought together about 200 SME representatives and government officials from Guangdong and Hong Kong, was one of the key programmes of Guangdong/Hong Kong IP co-operation this year. It was jointly organised by the Intellectual Property Department of the HKSAR Government, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Guangdong Intellectual Property Office and the People's Government of Qingyuan Municipality; undertaken by the Qingyuan Municipal Intellectual Property Office and the Productivity Promotion Center of Qingyuan City; and co-organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong of the HKSAR Government. The event was also supported by other members of the Guangdong/Hong Kong Expert Group on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights and the Federation of Hong Kong Industries.
Since 2004, Guangdong and Hong Kong have been working together to organise seminars promoting IP protection among SMEs. Similar seminars have been held successfully in cities such as Dongguan, Shaoguan, Shunde, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Zhanjiang, Zhuhai, Shantou, Zhongshan, Guangzhou, Zhaoqing and Foshan.
Details of the seminar in Qingyuan are available on the Intellectual Property Department's website www.ipd.gov.hk.
Ends/Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Issued at HKT 16:40
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