The Guangdong/Hong Kong Expert Group on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights today (December 30) confirmed the co-operation projects for 2024-25, striving to implement the spirit of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference to further promote the in-depth development of intellectual property (IP) co-operation.
The co-operation projects focus on the following five areas:
*Developing a world-class bay area to jointly create driving force contributing to high-quality development;
*Facilitating the development of manufacturing industries and new industrialisation to jointly create an efficient co-operation realm for IP exploitation;
*Promoting regional integration and development, maximising the branding effect of trademarks, copyright and geographical indications in encouraging domestic consumption;
*Creating a first-class innovation and business environment, bolstering co-operation on IP protection and law enforcement; and
*Deepening the IP culture, raising IP literacy in Guangdong and Hong Kong, and bringing co-operation between the two places to a higher level.
Key co-operation projects include promoting co-operation and exchanges in the high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA); promoting the integration of public IP services into the process of research and development and innovation; jointly strengthening co-operation and exchanges in IP transformation; promoting diversified resolution of IP disputes; organising major annual events such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area High-value Patent Portfolio Layout Competition and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area High-value Trademark Cultivation Competition; and arranging exchange activities relating to IP protection, trademarks, copyright and geographical indications.
On cross-boundary protection of IP, law enforcement authorities of Guangdong and Hong Kong will advance the development of the intelligence exchange mechanism, conduct joint enforcement operations targeting important areas, key channels and key merchandise, and strengthen collaboration and exchanges on copyright-related cases in the two places. Guangdong-Hong Kong joint dedicated operations will also be conducted as appropriate in a timely manner to step up efforts to combat serious IP infringement and safeguard the healthy economic development of Guangdong and Hong Kong.
The Expert Group has already completed a total of 17 co-operation projects in accordance with the co-operation plan on IP rights protection from mid-2022 to the end of 2023. Among them, various events were held, including the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Intellectual Property Trade Expo and International Geographical Indications Products Trade Expo, and the GBA IPR Talent Development Conference and IPR Talent Supply and Demand Matchmaking Series, to reinforce IP co-operation in the GBA.
Other collaboration projects include enhancing the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Intellectual Property Enquiry Points service in Guangdong Province and launching a reciprocal enquiry service in Hong Kong; organising the Guangdong/Hong Kong Seminar on IP and Development of Small and Medium Enterprises; participating in the Business of IP Asia Forum co-organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and organising the GBA breakout sessions; and arranging exchange activities relating to IP protection, exploitation, trading and commercialisation.
The Expert Group was set up after the Sixth Plenary of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference in August 2003. It aims at enhancing exchanges and co-operation in various aspects of IP protection, including promotion and education, training, enforcement, research study and information dissemination.
The leader of the Expert Group from the Guangdong side is the Director-General of the Guangdong Administration for Market Regulation (Guangdong Intellectual Property Administration), and members include officials from the Guangdong Administration for Market Regulation (Guangdong Intellectual Property Administration), the Guangdong Copyright Administration Bureau, the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department, the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province and the Guangdong Sub-administration of Customs General Administration. The leader of the Expert Group from the Hong Kong side is the Director of Intellectual Property, and members include officials from the Intellectual Property Department, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and the Customs and Excise Department.
A summary of the co-operation items has been uploaded to the website of the Intellectual Property Department.
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