Recently almost two hundred people, mostly IP in-house counsels, but also IP attorneys, met in Shanghai for the 5th China IP Counsel Congress 2013. I participated in this conference for the second year, this time together with my colleague Lars Nilsson.
The conference included several very interesting presentations. Most of the speakers were from the Chinese IP community, such as Chinese companies already working actively with IP protection, but a few of us were from abroad. The topics varied; from IP development trends to local policies in Shanghai supporting companies that protect innovations through IP and the way Chinese companies may act to prevent and solve patent disputes. I contributed by introducing the Chinese participants to some important aspects that should be taken into consideration when filing and prosecuting patent applications in Europe.
It is clear that the interest in intellectual property is growing in China – both for foreign companies that are active in China but also very much so for domestic Chinese companies. This was demonstrated by the many questions that were asked during the presentations, and also by the discussions going on during the breaks.
As was repeated several times during the conference, it is no doubt that the previous saying “Made in China” has been replaced by “Invented in China”.
The conference also provided many good opportunities for networking with new and old contacts.
Lars and I spend a few additional days in Shanghai, meeting with people from the local IP community. From these meetings it is clear that the importance of intellectual property – in China and abroad – is increasing for Chinese companies.
Maria Stenbäck, Partner and European Patent Attorney
