The EU continues support to IP cooperation in China through IP Key project
The IP Key China Stakeholders Meeting was held on 19 April 2023. The event brought together over 80 online and onsite participants from EU institutions, Chinese government authorities, representatives from EU Member States, academics from EU and Chinese IP faculties as well as a diverse range of industries.
This occasion signifies the continuation of IP Key China, a technical project in the field of intellectual property (IP) cooperation directed by the European Commission and implemented in China and the European Union by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The new phase of the project (2022 – 2025) marks a significant milestone in IP Key initiative's ongoing efforts to continuous support the EU-China IP cooperation and dialogue.
IP Key China (2022-2025) builds on earlier cooperation between the EU and China in the area of IP. It was highlighted in the event that the current phase of IP Key China will continue its support creating a more conducive IP environment for European enterprises, increasing the importance of IPR in the local market and contributing to stronger IPR protection and enforcement in China.
The Stakeholder Meeting featured two rich panel discussions. The first panel focused on the topic of future priorities and challenges for EU-China cooperation in the area of IP protection and enforcement. The discussion made a distinct and clearer direction for future cooperation, stressing the importance of maintaining open and constructive exchanges.
Another panel discussed how academia could address the existing and forthcoming challenges in the IP landscape, highlighting the significance of academia´s role in EU-China IP cooperation. Professors from the EU and China throughout the conversation emphasised the importance of support from both the Chinese government and the European Union, as well as the necessity of institutionalising and expanding collaboration between Chinese and EU higher education institutions.
IP cooperation between the EU and China dates back more than 20 years to IPR1 (1999-2004), IPR2 (2007-2011), and IP Key (2013-2017), and IP Key China Phase I (2017-2022).