Turning clever ideas into market leading products

Helping Chinese companies turn their inventions into money-making products in the global market will be a key topic at the eighth China Trademark Festival in October.

With the theme of "to serve innovation and development, and boost transformation and upgrading", the festival will be held from Oct 27 to 30 in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, according to a recent news conference in Beijing.

Although China has been leading the world in the number of trademark registrations for 15 consecutive years, with more than 10 million valid trademarks by the end of last year, "it is still far behind many Western countries in terms of the contribution of trademarks to national economic growth", said Wang Peizhang, secretary-general of the China Trademark Association, organizer of the annual festival, at the news conference.

As one of the largest and most influential events for trademarks in China, it will provide opportunities to display the world's trademark and brand culture, encourage research and exchanges in the trademark and brand community and promote the nation's trademark strategies, said Wang.

He added that this year's festival will center on national plans for innovation-driven development and intellectual property strategy to help domestic companies build globally competitive brands and upgrade the nation's economic structure.

The festival will include the China Trademark Annual Meeting, the China Trademark Expo and other themed activities.

The annual meeting will invite senior government officials, international scholars and experts to give keynote speeches on trademark and brand policies and on how to build globally influential brands.

There will also be many sub-forums on topics such as trademark laws, online trademark infringement and risk control, international trademark registration, trademark design, geographical indications and legal case studies.

The event will also help companies in traditional industries find partners in the internet business sector, Wang said.

Compared with previous sessions, the forums this year will pay more attention to the Chinese companies' brand building capacity, international trademark protection in the regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, the convenience of trademark filing, and brand building in the financing industry and agriculture, said Wang.

The host city, Kunshan, is one of the most developed small cities in China with advanced electronics, machinery and textile industries.

Deputy Mayor Jin Ming said hosting the festival would help the city's international trade and cultural exchanges, and encourage the overseas development of local companies.

"The trademark gala will promote innovation in Kunshan, and brands will lead the city's industrial upgrading," Jin said.

Local companies and individuals owned 151,200 valid trademarks by May, including 115 recognized as well-known trademarks.

zhangzhao@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/13/2016 page17)