The 2020 Guangdong/Hong Kong Seminar on Intellectual Property (IP) and Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) (Online) was broadcast live online today (October 23), attracting an audience of about 260 business representatives and government officials from Guangdong and Hong Kong.

     Entitled "Strategy for Development of Innovation: IP Protection and Exploitation for Enterprises in the Greater Bay Area", the seminar aimed to assist SMEs in Hong Kong and Guangdong Province in enhancing their IP protection and management capacity as well as developing effective IP strategies to better capitalise on opportunities brought about by the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), thereby enhancing their international competitiveness.

     In the seminar, the Assistant Director of Intellectual Property, Ms Joyce Poon, introduced Hong Kong's new patent system, which mainly comprises an original grant patent (OGP) system that provides a direct route for seeking standard patent protection in Hong Kong, enabling SMEs engaged in innovation and technology (I&T) to explore new commercialisation strategies and business opportunities.

     Ms Poon said, "The OGP system brings the patent system in Hong Kong on par with the international mainstream patent practices. It also facilitates the commercialisation of I&T research and development results in the GBA, enhancing Hong Kong's position as an IP trading hub in the region."

     Being one of the key co-operation items under the framework of the Guangdong/Hong Kong Expert Group on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights (Expert Group), the seminar was jointly organised by the Intellectual Property Department (IPD) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Guangdong Administration for Market Regulation (Guangdong Intellectual Property Administration), and was co-organised by the Guangdong Intellectual Property Protection Association and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong of the HKSAR Government. The event was also supported by other members of the Expert Group and the Federation of Hong Kong Industries.
      
     Since 2004, Guangdong and Hong Kong have co-organised a number of activities in various cities to promote the importance of IP protection and exploitation among SMEs. This seminar is the first such exchange activity to be broadcast live online.
      
     Details of the online seminar are available on the IPD's website (www.ipd.gov.hk).    

Ends/Friday, October 23, 2020
Issued at HKT 17:30

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