Rule of Law and Innovation Forum Successfully Held During Global Business and Law Conference 2024 

On 27 September 2024, the Rule of Law and Innovation Forum, one of the parallel forums of the Global Business and Law Conference 2024, was successfully held in Beijing, China. The forum was hosted by China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), organised by our firm China Patent Agent (H.K.) Ltd. (CPA), and moderated by CPA general manager Mr. Wu Yuhe.

CCPIT vice chairman Mr. Zhang Shaogang and International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) president Mr. Shoichi Okuyama were present and addressed the forum. Mr. Zhang in his address remarked that new quality productive forces represent an intellectual property (IP) innovation-intensive area and a focus of IP protection, stressing that strengthening IP protection is of great significance to promoting the development of new quality productive forces. He also highlighted the importance of further leveraging the strengths of enterprises as innovation entities, consistent improvement of the rules and mechanisms of IP protection and commercialisation to align with the development of new quality productive forces, stepping up of relevant service support and work coordination, and deepening of IP international exchanges and cooperation. In his address, Mr. Okuyama highly praised China's substantial efforts in strengthening IP protection and described the key roles played by the AIPPI in promoting global IP exchanges and cooperation. He also mentioned the AIPPI World Congress to be held in Hangzhou in October.

Keynote speeches of the forum were delivered by Mr. Peng Wen, deputy director of Intellectual Property Utilization Promotion Department of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA); Mr. Tong Xin, executive chairman of Intellectual Property Commission of China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC); and Mr. Yoshitaka Ota, director of Intellectual Property Department of Beijing Office of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). Mr. Peng noted that IP provides technical support and institutional protection for the development of new productive forces, and stressed that patent commercialisation and exploitation should be fully implemented, and IP chains be vigorously strengthened to boost efficiency. Mr. Tong made a speech entitled "The Practice and Prospect of Standard Essential Patent (SEP) Licensing in the Communications Industry", exploring means of reasonably remunerating innovators through licensing, and advocating the enhancement of communication and collaboration between enterprises. Mr. Ohta introduced Japan's developments in IP strategy, innovation activities in the artificial intelligence sector, and international cooperation situation.

The forum also featured a roundtable discussion on the topic of "Promoting the strengthening and efficiency of intellectual property chains and creating an international first-class business environment". The roundtable discussion was moderated by CPA deputy general manager Mr. Hu Gang. Participants of the discussion included Mr. Feng Xiaoqing, vice president of the Intellectual Property Law Association of China Law Society; Mr. Samuel Stone, intellectual property attaché of British Embassy in China; Mr. Su Jing, intellectual property director of BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., Dr. Qiu Fuen, legal director of R&D-based Pharmaceutical Association Committee of China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment; and Mr. Gao Yongyi, executive vice president of Capital Intellectual Property Services Association. They all stressed the crucial roles of IP protection in promoting innovation and high-quality development, advocated strengthening cultivation and exchanges of IP talents, and suggested building international exchange and cooperation platforms in alignment with rules and standards of individual industries as well as refining services to adapt to different client groups.

The forum was attended by over 300 representatives from relevant ministries and commissions, and innovation entities and IP agencies from home and overseas.