2018 international IP forum opens in Shanghai

The 15th Shanghai International Intellectual Property Forum & Global IP Protection and Innovation Development Conference, part of the first China International Import Expo (CIIE), began on Nov 6, 2018 at the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center.

The director of National Intellectual Property Administration, Shen Changyu; World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) director-general, Francis Gurry; Assistant Minister of Commerce Li Chenggang, and vice mayor of Shanghai, Chen Qun, attended the opening ceremony and gave speeches.

The 15th Shanghai International Intellectual Property Forum & Global IP Protection and Innovation Development Conference, part of the first China International Import Expo (CIIE), kicks off on Nov 6, 2018 at the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center. [Photo by Xue Xinyi]

"This year's forum, themed around 'Intellectual Property Protection: Innovation-driven Development and First-class Business Environments', echoes CIIE's goal of boosting business trade and opening-up,"Shen said.

China has attached great importance to intellectual property protection and provided domestic and foreign companies with the same business environment, winning wide acclaim around the world. The Chinese government is now striving for the reform of intellectual property institutions and the construction of an IP protection system to create a better business and innovation environment.

Francis Gurry, director-general of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), appreciates China’s achievements in intellectual property at the forum on Nov 6, 2018. [Photo by Xue Xinyi]

Gurry noted that intellectual property has played a key role in promoting China’s economic transformation and innovation-driven development. In 2017, China became the first medium income country that ranked among the world’s top 20 most-innovative economies. WIPO was impressed by China’s achievements in intellectual property and appreciated China’s contribution to boosting multilateralism and global IP protection system construction.