16-18 May 2011, United Kingdom

The fourth meeting between EU and China IPR customs experts was supported by IPR2, together with the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), as part of ongoing implementation of the EU-China Customs Action Plan launched in January 2009. The two-day meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between customs and right holders both in the EU and in China. It was held attended by local customs officials from Beijing, Shanghai, Ningbo, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Xiamen, Hangzhou and Huangpu Customs, GACC officials, the European Commission’s DG TAXUD and customs officials from France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK.

20 & 22 March 2011, Shanghai and Hangzhou

IPR2, together with the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspections and Quarantine of China (AQSIQ)  continued to support EU-China co-operation on the protection of Geographical Indications (GIs) with a seminar for industry and a high-level conference in the presence of EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dacian Cioloş, on GIs and appellations of origin as intangible assets of economic, rural and social development.

13-14 January 2011, Nantong

IPR2 and the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC) organised a seminar on copyright enforcement best practice, providing a platform for European and Chinese experts, copyright law-makers, policy makers and enforcement authorities to better understand how a solid copyright protection system can promote the development of creative industries, what issues faces these industries as well as the legal remedies and investigative procedures used to handle violations of copyrights and related rights.

9-11 November 2010, Hangzhou

The third meeting between EU and China IPR customs experts was held with the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) with the support of IPR2, as part of implementing the key actions under the EU-China Customs Action Plan which was launched in January 2009 and during these days, extension to the end of 2012 is being pursued. The meeting focused on defining a roadmap and agreeing upon ways to enhance exchanges and results of the customs network.

15-17 October, Guangzhou and 25-26 October 2010, Beijing

IPR2 continues to closely co-operate with the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on raising the level of IP protection and enforcement at trade fairs, with training for enforcement agencies, officials from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and right holders on how to protect IPRs at trade fairs, in particular how to set up a mediation service, mediation rules and guidelines for ongoing implementation of such services by the Chinese authorities as well as a set of recommendations to both exhibitors and officials on more effective IPR protection practices. Prior to this, a mediation support service for European and Chinese companies was set up for the first time on site at the Guangzhou 2010 exhibition (Canton Fair).  

14-15 October 2010, Kunming 

IPR2 organised a two-day workshop with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) on combating false and misleading advertising, propaganda and publicity for 30 officials from central and local anti-unfair competition departments, together with experts from Europe. The workshop was opened by Mr Jiang Tianbo, Deputy Director-General of the Anti-Monopoly and Anti-Unfair Competition Enforcement Department of SAIC and Mr Andreas Obst, Long-term Expert of IPR2 and Mr Liu Benjun, Deputy Director General of Yunnan Provincial AIC, as co-organiser of the event. 

3-8 September 2010, Berlin

IPR2 supported information and mediation services at Berlin’s IFA trade fair, the world’s largest annual exhibition for consumer electronics, as part of its continuing work with the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) to support the protection of intellectual property at trade fairs. In support of Chinese and European exhibiting companies, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) worked with MOFCOM and IPR2 to establish an information and mediation support service on site at the exhibition.

4 September 2010, Shanghai

At the scene of the World Expo Shanghai 2010 in the Belgian-EU Pavilion, IPR2 held a ‘moot court’ in which Chinese and European experts simulated enforcement proceedings for the same real-world infringement case, applying the respective legal systems for protecting intellectual property at a trade fair in Europe and China. This practical approach provided a unique learning opportunity on the methodology and reasoning of court decisions and a very practical means of comparing the similarities and differences between the Chinese and European enforcement procedures and practices. 

4–14 July 2010, UK, France, Germany

IPR2 organised a ten-day study tour to the UK, France and Germany for officials from anti-unfair competition departments of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) and local AIC offices of Shanghai, Shandong, Chongqing and Xinjiang, as part of building knowledge on the European anti-unfair competition system and increasing exchanges between Chinese and European officials and experts on the implementation of anti-unfair competition legislation.

12-16 July 2010, Wenzhou, Hangzhou, Beijing

IPR2, together with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) implemented a series of training sessions for Chinese companies and government officials on how to protect IP at trade fairs. European experts presented the leading IP protection measures in Europe, and explained how companies can prepare to make use of the system. 

10-11 June 2010, Dalian

IPR2 together with the Supreme People’s Court (SPC), the Liaoning High People’s Court and the Dalian Intermediate People’s Court organised a conference and workshop on the interface between Competition and IP Law, involving more than 100 judges from the SPC, Chinese High Courts and Intermediary Courts in different jurisdictions, members of the Patent Re-examination Board, academia and companies. By sharing European best practice and experience on the development of its legislative framework in enforcing competition and IP laws, the conference helped to support the Chinese judiciary with their adjudication and judicial interpretation work.

18 May 2010, Beijing

10-21 May 2010, France, Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom

A delegation of judiciary from the Supreme People's Court (SPC), Chinese High Courts and Intermediary Courts participated in a study tour to Europe on the protection of copyrights on the internet. Six judges, experienced in the adjudication of cases of online piracy, were informed on European procedures for protecting copyrights on the internet and the latest developments of legislation and landmark cases in this field, as part of helping to increase capacity to adjudicate and handle IP cases and build long-term links with European judicial counterparts.

11-16 April, Frankfurt and 19-24 April 2010, Hanover, Germany

In 2010, IPR2 is continuing its co-operation with the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) to support the protection of intellectual property at trade fairs with information and mediation support at two of the world’s most significant exhibitions in Germany – Frankfurt Messe and Hanover Messe.

Dongguan, 7-9 April and 13-15 April 2010, Wuhan

IPR2 held two three-day trainings with the Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) on criminal enforcement of IP rights for local procuratorates and prosecutors. The training contributed to increasing the qualifications of the 225 prosecutors who participated, in terms of handling IPR cases as well as  increasing the exchange of information between Chinese prosecutors and enforcement officials and industry right holders on best practices of criminal enforcement. The training aimed to highlight the different concepts linked to the determination and valuation of the ‘infringing mass’ in the EU and China, addressing a series of legislative and technical enforcement questions.

2-6 March 2010, Germany

IPR2 is continuing its close co-operation with the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) in providing information and mediation services at trade fairs in Europe. Building on the successful experience at CeBIT 2009 and other European trade fairs, the mediation service returned to CeBIT 2010 to help address and resolve IP disputes for Chinese and European exhibitors.