The 2025 Guangdong/Hong Kong Seminar on Intellectual Property (IP) and Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), entitled "Challenges of IP Rights in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)", was held today (November 18) in Jiangmen to explore the impacts and challenges that AI technology development poses to IP protection within the innovation ecosystem. The seminar aimed to enhance the awareness, protection and efficient use of IP among Hong Kong SMEs in Guangdong Province and Mainland enterprises and assist them in formulating effective IP strategies suitable for the AI era, thereby enabling enterprises to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the development of the digital economy to expand in the national and global markets. It was attended by over 200 representatives of SMEs and IP practitioners, as well as government officials from Guangdong and Hong Kong.
 
     Speaking at the opening ceremony of the seminar, the Director of Intellectual Property, Mr David Wong, said that the seminar was a significant milestone in the long and sustained efforts of the IP authorities of the two places in strengthening exchanges and collaborations in various areas over the last two decades, jointly enhancing the level of IP protection and management in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
 
     Mr Wong briefed the participants on Hong Kong's latest initiatives in promoting the development of IP, including the formulation of an amendment proposal for the Copyright Ordinance and a relevant code of practice regarding the protection for AI technology development, the review of the local registered designs regime, and the introduction of a series of measures to assist pilot sectors in leveraging IPs for financing. Such measures would further reinforce Hong Kong's position as a regional IP trading centre and an international innovation and technology centre, and assist in accelerating the country's development of new quality productive forces.
 
     Speakers presented and shared their insights on various topics at the seminar, namely "IP issues in the era of large models: Perspectives from data and algorithms", "Leveraging IP strategies: Win‑win practices for SMEs and multinational corporations", "Legal practice in AI: Focusing on IP issues and analysis of user agreement templates", and "The future of data and knowledge: Innovation and practices of IP empowering corporate AI strategies".
 
     Since 2004, Guangdong and Hong Kong have co-organised a number of activities to promote the importance of IP protection and exploitation among SMEs. The seminar was a key co-operation item under the framework of the Guangdong/Hong Kong Expert Group on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights, and was jointly organised by the Intellectual Property Department (IPD), the Guangdong Administration for Market Regulation (Guangdong Intellectual Property Administration), the Jiangmen Municipal People's Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council; undertaken by the Jiangmen Administration for Market Regulation (Jiangmen Intellectual Property Administration); and co-organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The event was also supported by members of the Expert Group and the Federation of Hong Kong Industries.
 
     Details of the seminar are available on the IPD's website (www.ipd.gov.hk).

Ends/Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Issued at HKT 15:00

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