Chinese IP Officials Complete Study Of UK, European IP Law

A second cohort of senior Chinese officials from the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has graduated from a four-month training programme at the Intellectual Property Research Institute of Queen Mary University of London.

The programme is described as “lead[ing] on intellectual property training for China,” according to a Queen Mary press release.

It focuses on “key aspects of UK and European law and practice in patents, trademarks, designs and copyright,” and aims to “contribute to a greater understanding of UK and European intellectual property law and practice so that the CNIPA officials can work more efficiently in their respective fields,” the release says.

The training programme included visits to the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and the offices of “two leading firms specialising in patents and trademarks,” as well as specific projects tailored to the work specialities of CNIPA officials, it says.

“This is a win-win situation,” Duncan Matthews, director of Queen Mary’s Intellectual Property Research Institute, said in the release.

“It is the fourth year of the Queen Mary training programme and our continuing relationship with the CNIPA will lead to benefits for the Chinese IP system as well as giving reassurance to UK and European IP rights holders operating there,” it said. This was the second contingent of CNIPA officials to cycle through the programme.

“The training programme has been a very successful and valuable experience,” Ying Yuan, deputy director and patent examiner at CNIPA, said in the release. “It has provided many different perspectives and the course overall has been terrific. It has deepened our professional understanding and widened our horizons.”

 

Image Credits: Queen Mary IP Institute, University of London