************************************************************
The Guangdong/Hong Kong Expert Group on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights has agreed to step up co-operation to raise the level of public awareness of intellectual property (IP) in both regions.
At the sixth meeting today (July 12) in Guangzhou, the two sides reviewed the latest developments of IP in the two regions and concluded that many IP co-operation items had been successfully completed. These included an exchange programme on trade fairs for IP professionals of the two regions; IP education sharing programme for teachers from primary and secondary schools of both regions; a study tour in respect of the ˇ§No Fakesˇ¨ Pledge Scheme and an IP seminar in Zhuhai. Law enforcement authorities in both places have been working closely to suppress the flow of infringing goods.
Projects for the second half of the year were also discussed, including enhancing the staff exchange programme for IP professionals of both regions and organising the ˇ§Guangdong/Hong Kong Seminar on Intellectual Property and the Development of Small and Medium Enterprisesˇ¨ in Guangdong Province.
Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, the Director of Intellectual Property, Mr Stephen Selby, said that since the Expert Group was set up in 2003, it had raised public awareness of the systems for protection of intellectual property rights in both regions.
ˇ§In the age of knowledge economy, enterprises on the Mainland and in Hong Kong are increasingly aware of the importance of IP protection and management. We plan to co-organise IP management seminars in both regions to show enterprises how IP can be used as a tool for wealth creation and how they can strengthen IP management to sharpen their competitive edge.ˇ¨
Mr Selby paid tribute to the assistance of the People's Government of Guangdong Province in facilitating Hong Kongˇ¦s outreach to SMEs in the Pearl River Delta. He also thanked the Hong Kong IP legal community for its support.
ˇ§Support from the People's Government of Guangdong Province has been vital to the success of our outreach efforts. We have also showcased the services available from IP legal professionals in both Hong Kong and Guangdong. Private sector IP agents and legal practitioners have played an important part in Hong Kongˇ¦s public education efforts in Guangdong Province in recent years,ˇ¨ Mr Selby said.
The leader of the Guangdong delegation, the Director General of Guangdong Provincial Intellectual Property Office, Mr Li Zhongduo, said the meeting had been very fruitful in building up the co-operation of both sides.
ˇ§We have agreed to increase our co-operation in both depth and breadth. For example, the 'No Fakes' Pledge Scheme is to be actively promoted continuously in both regions and exchange activities for tertiary institutions and science and technology institutes will be conducted.ˇ¨
The Expert Group, set up after the Sixth Plenary of the Guangdong/Hong Kong Co-operation Joint Conference in August, 2003, aimed at enhancing exchanges and co-operation on various aspects of intellectual property, including promotion and education, training, enforcement and information dissemination. The Guangdong delegation is led by the Director General of Guangdong Provincial Intellectual Property Office, Mr Li Zhongduo, and comprises officials from the Public Security Bureau, the Foreign Trade & Economic Co-operation Department, the Administration for Industry and Commerce, the Copyright Bureau and the Guangdong Customs. The Hong Kong delegation is headed by Mr Selby, and comprises officials from the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and the Customs and Excise Department.
A summary of the co-operation items is posted on the website of Intellectual Property Department at www.ipd.gov.hk .
Ends/Thursday, July 12, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:00
NNNN
