U.S. Chamber Hosts Innovation and Intellectual Property Summit in Guangdong, China
GUANGZHOU, CHINA – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) today called on China’s Guangdong government to initiate a more sustained, consistent, and comprehensive dialogue with American and Chinese rights holders to address IP challenges in the province.
“We recognize the Guangdong provincial leadership’s efforts to promote a more innovative economy in the aftermath of the financial crisis,” said Myron Brilliant, senior vice president for International Affairs at the U.S. Chamber. “However, Guangdong’s ability to develop into a global hub for innovation will depend on the will of the provincial government to work more closely with IP rights holders, including American companies. We hope to initiate efforts with the government to promote solutions that tackle the significant IP protection and enforcement challenges in the province.”
Brilliant represented the Chamber at the Pearl River Delta International Forum on Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights, joining U.S Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, and top industry and business association executives. While forum participants acknowledged the progress that Guangdong has achieved in legislation, education, and procedures on IP, foreign investors identified a number of IP challenges that, if addressed, would significantly improve Guangdong’s attractiveness as an innovation center.
“Guangdong is still considered a major source of production for infringing products sold not only in China, but globally,” said Dr. Mark Esper, executive vice president of the GIPC. Some foreign rights holders are reluctant to use the Guangdong civil-court system to obtain relief because they lack confidence that the system will always work equitably. There is inadequate regulation and resources dedicated to protecting IP rights on the Internet. Moreover, there are growing concerns among foreign rights holders over the unequal application of government innovation policies to foreign-invested companies in the areas of procurement, standards setting, and tax.
“We look forward to building on the progress made at this Summit with the Guangdong government,” Esper said. “Together, our efforts to enhance protection and enforcement of IP will lead to future innovation that will help solve the challenges facing our world.”
The Chamber’s Global Intellectual Property Center is working around the world to champion intellectual property (IP) as vital to creating jobs, saving lives, advancing global economic growth, and generating breakthrough solutions to global challenges.
