As of today, the 19 May 2021, TMview will include trade mark data made available by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), taking the total number of trade marks in the search tool from 62 to over 90 million from 75 participating IP Offices.

Identifying and registering IP in target markets is the first step in developing a comprehensive IP protection strategy. For SMEs to be successful in their target markets, a structured IP protection approach must take into account the particularities of the legal framework in target markets as well as the nature of SME’s intangible assets and available resources. For example, in case the SME’s product has a long-life cycle and it is not easily reverse-engineered, trade secret protection can be preferable to patent protection.

IP Key LA hosted the fourth edition of the Enforcement Week Forum for Latin America.

The theme of the conference was the enforcement of IP rights, as a reminder of why the enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPRs) is in the interest of society. The economic study conducted in Mexico was summarized by IMPI as a way to demonstrate the impact of IP in Latin America.

Customs authorities are key players in the fight against piracy and counterfeiting. This is because most infringing goods flooding the markets today are not manufactured in the country where the goods are sold and, therefore, must at some point make their way across borders.

Intellectual Property Right (IPR) enforcement requires the cooperation and close collaboration of multiple stakeholders to effectively combat IPR infringements in the physical and online environment. Adopting this multi-stakeholder approach that includes various actors in the IPR enforcement ecosystem, IP Key South-East Asia presented the IPR Enforcement Series 2021.

Registering IP is an important part of launching your products on new markets, since lack of IP protection can have a negative impact on SMEs’ business competitiveness and resilience. As IP is territorial, the IP rights that EU SMEs enjoy at home do not automatically extend to other markets, unless specifically registered there. Thus, SMEs should identify the core IP they own and consider registering it in the countries and territories they plan to do business in/with. 

One more year comes, and it is already 26 April, also known as the Intellectual Property day, as established by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) two decades ago. This year, under the motto “IP & SMEs: Taking your ideas to market”, WIPO asked all involved parties to shine a light on the critical role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the economy and how they can use intellectual property (IP) rights to build stronger, more competitive and resilient businesses.

According to the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), SMEs represent 99 % of all companies in the EU. Being a key element of the European economy, in the last 8 years they have created almost 85 % of new jobs and, overall, two thirds of total private sector employment in the EU.

On 26 May 2021 IP Key China organised an EU-China experts workshop on geographical indications (GI). Participants from the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development at the European Commission, the China National Intellectual Property Administration, the European Union Intellectual Property Office and the EU Delegation to China exchanged knowledge and expertise on important issues for the implementation of the EU-China GIs agreement.

Why is IP protection important for EU SMEs?

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the EU economy. They represent 99 % of all businesses in the EU, account for more than half of Europe’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employ about 100 million people[1]. The positive association between economic performance and ownership of intellectual property rights (IPRs) is particularly strong for SMEs.