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9 September 2016Patents

UK-China IP relationship to be strengthened

The return of Baroness Lucy Neville-Rolfe, UK minister of state for energy and intellectual property, from China has brought new plans for the countries to encourage further IP collaboration.

The visit to China, which took place between August 20 and 27, resulted with the UK entering a number of agreements and new initiatives.

During the visit, the minister held meetings with several Chinese companies including Tencent, Huawei, Alibaba, and Lenovo to discuss the increasing importance of IP and brand protection.

The meetings also focused on British businesses operating in China that have received support through the UK Intellectual Property Office attaché network, including BP, the Scotch Whisky Association and Whittards, a retailer.

Neville-Rolfe said in a statement yesterday, September 8: “It is very encouraging to see the momentous strides China is taking in the field of intellectual property. I am pleased that the UK is playing a vital advisory role and the UK’s IP regime is one that other nations wish to emulate.”

She added: “The IPO-SIPO (State Intellectual Property Office) relationship has gone from strength-to-strength. The engagement throughout the visit has been excellent, demonstrating the strength of our relationship with China. IP cooperation is a central part of the UK-China bilateral relationship, underpinning our mutual passion for innovation and creativity.”

The minister’s delegation included representatives from the UK Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys, the Institute of Trademark Attorneys, British businesses and also the presiding judge of the UK Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, Richard Hacon.

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