General Manager Li Yong at Interview: the Importance of Getting the Logic Right for Foreign Enterprises' IP Strategies in China
China Patent Agent (H.K.) Ltd. (CPA) General Manager Mr. Li Yong recently did an interview for Legal Strategy Review magazine. In the interview, he provided a close look at China's IP industry, recalling how he grasped the chance to start a career in the nascent IP regime, and recounting the opportunities, benefits and shortfalls of the current IP landscape domestically.
As a veteran in the IP industry, Mr. Li Yong also gave his views about the importance of setting the right IP strategies for any foreign enterprises who intend to secure their IP rights and interests in the lucrative market of China. For illustration, Mr. Li Yong cited a high profile invalidation case in which CPA, after nine years' persistent efforts, successfully defended the patent right pertaining to a second medical use of a known chemical compound included in Viagra owned by the drug manufacturer Pfizer.
While a tough economic climate may lead the corporate heads to decide that pursuing an action or even registering a right in China is not worth the expense involved, Mr. Li Yong, however, disagrees with the logic. As he explained, "The original grant of the patent [of Pfizer] has triggered invalidation by 12 domestic manufacturers. Without the protection of a patent, that chemical compound could have been used by a great number of drug manufacturers to produce a comparable drug, thereby eroding the patent owner's interests."
Mr. Li Yong also advised on the protection of business and technology secrets within the parameters of the existing system.
For full report of the interview, please see the published article entitled "On the Fast Track" at www.cpaglobal.com/newlegalreview/4852/on_the_fast_track.
