Open and Innovative Intellectual Property Protection Services at the Canton Fair

At the opening press conference of the 124th Canton Fair held on October 14, Xu Bing, spokesperson of the Canton Fair and Deputy Director General of the China Foreign Trade Center, introduced the characteristics of intellectual property protection of the Canton Fair.

Xu Bing said that since 1992, the Canton Fair has been exploring intellectual property protection. In the past 26 years, it has experienced a period of special rights protection to a specialized institution, and then to a sound system, and established a relatively complete and realistic exhibition intellectual property rights protection system, which has become a model for intellectual property protection in China’s exhibitions and an important window to show how the Chinese government protect intellectual property rights and encourage innovation. It has been widely praised by customers at home and abroad.

Xu Bing said that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the reform and opening up. At the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference, Secretary General Xi Jinping specifically strengthened intellectual property protection as one of the four major initiatives to expand opening up. The Canton Fair attaches great importance to the protection of intellectual property rights and regards intellectual property protection as an important measure to create a sound and safe business environment and guarantee innovation as well as promote development. The 124th Canton Fair adhered to both prevention and on-site dealing, and adopted various measures to protect intellectual property rights.

Strengthen education and training. Enterprises are required to study carefully, strictly abide by intellectual property laws and regulations and intellectual property protection provisions of the Canton Fair, be familiar with the relevant contents of the Canton Fair's intellectual property protection and trade dispute resolution work, and cooperate with the handling of relevant complaints. Enterprises are required to act on honesty, guarantee the quality of goods, standardize contract signing and performance, and prevent trade risks and disputes.

Strengthen responsibilities. All trading delegations are required to implement the relevant provisions of the Letter of Commitment of Canton Fair Trading Delegation on Intellectual Property Protection and Letter of Responsibility on Booth Usage in Canton Fair National Pavilion, and take responsibility for protecting intellectual property rights and preventing trade disputes. All trading delegations and exhibiting companies are required to sign the Letter of Responsibility on Booth Usage and exhibiting companies are urged to consciously fulfill their obligations under the Letter.

Adhere to pre-show prevention. Before the fair, we issued a notice to the trading delegations and business association, requesting all parties to strengthen the examination of the qualifications of the enterprises, the intellectual property rights and the quality of the exhibits, and regard the self-examination and self-correction in the process of exhibition organization and preparation as the focus of work, and strictly control the entrance. We prevented unqualified enterprises or products that may be suspected of infringement from the source. Also we sorted out the exhibits and enterprises that were frequently complained and needed special attention, and made one-on-one reminders and warnings. We used traditional media, new media, etc. to send information related to intellectual property protection work and enhance the awareness of intellectual property protection of enterprises.

Strengthen protection during the fair. We will continue to invite experts from Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Department of the State and Guangdong Province, Guangzhou City and Trade Disputes Arbitration to handle case complaints, increase on-site inspection, ensure full coverage, and ensure that each case is handled fairly, openly and efficiently.

Organize a special forum. The forum on “Prevention and Response of Corporate Intellectual Property Rights and International Trade Disputes in the Background of Sino-US Trade Frictions” will be held to help enterprises implement intellectual property strategies better and prevent and respond to intellectual property rights and contract disputes in international trade.

Support after-show rights protection. We will support intellectual property rights holders to defend their rights through legal means such as administrative and judicial proceedings after the completion of the Canton Fair, and assist the courts across the country to do a good job in case investigation.

 (Canton Fair Press Center)