Roving Seminars in the EU on the Chinese Trade Mark system – Bilateral meetings between State Administration for Industry and Commerce of the PRC and European IP Offices

In the occasion of an official visit by SAIC Vice Minister to the EU, IP Key organised a set of roving seminars in Budapest, Prague and Warsaw with the participation of trade mark experts from the Chinese Trade Mark Office and Appeal Board, aimed at presenting an updated picture of the Chinese trade mark administration and enforcement system.

The Chinese Trade Mark Law, recently revised, is bringing important changes for trade mark owners. The amended Trade Mark Law addressed several areas, including: good faith on new filings, enforcement and deterrence to infringement, allowable trade mark matters, recognition of well-known marks, trade mark registration process and Trade Mark agents’ duties.

EU companies doing business in China therefore need to enhance their knowledge of the Chinese Trade Mark system, in order to approach the Chinese market with increased confidence.

Approximately 200 persons attended the roving seminars organised by IP Key in cooperation with the Intellectual Property Offices of Hungary, Czech Republic and Poland, in Budapest, Prague and Warsaw respectively (see press release published by the Polish Patent Office on the October 26th seminar that took place in Warsaw). Presentations by the Deputy Director General of the Chinese Trade Mark Office triggered several questions and interest from the audience, in vast majority trade mark owners and attorneys.

On the margins of the roving seminars, bilateral meetings took place between SAIC's Vice Minister and the head management of Hungarian, Czech and Polish IP Offices as well as between the recently appointed Secretary General of the Chinese Trade Mark Association, and local Patent/Trade Mark Associations, aimed at exploring opportunities for future cooperation.

The President of OHIM, Mr Antonio Campinos, and SAIC Vice Minister Liu Junchen also attended a bilateral breakfast meeting before opening the workings of the seminar in Budapest.

IP Key is particularly grateful to the State Administration of Industry & Commerce of China and look forward to nurture the mutual cooperation in the following months.

For more information on this activity contact Davide Follador davide.follador@ipkey.org, for general information on IP Key please contact jaspal.channa@ipkey.org.