Not many people know the IP risks and mitigations better than the people at Intellectual Property Office(IPO), few companies know how to commercialise innovations in China without jeopardising IP rights better than the ones doing just that, such as Crayfish. And who else can claim to be better informed, skilled and experienced in preventing and mitigating IP risks in China than the IP service firms based in that market?

All three joined forces at a one-day in-person briefing on the latest developments in China’s IP sector, and strategies to safeguard and commercialise innovations held on May 24 in Cambridge to share their expertise.

Here’s the piece of  advice on how to mitigate IP risks in China, in 5 steps, from experts’ view.

If you have decided not to let concerns over IP safety hold you back from entering, staying or expanding in China, here is a piece of  advice on how to mitigate IP risks in China, in 5 steps, from the people who know the matter well.

You spotted something selling hot in China. The product looks very familiar, so familiar that you suspect technology infringement, or counterfeit, or piracy. Or, you wonder, could it be that your partner/manufacturer/employee in China has stolen your IP? If these ring a bell, you are not alone. These are just some of the typical scenarios of IP rights violation – bad-faith trade mark, counterfeit, piracy, trade secret theft, or patent infringement.

The technology and digital landscape in China for overseas companies is complex and requires a nuanced approach to assess viable and secure export and licensing opportunities. IP risk is the top consideration, and companies must work hard to put the right safeguards in place as part of their commercial strategy in China.

Not many people know the IP risks and mitigations better than the people at Intellectual Property Office(IPO), few companies know how to commercialise innovations in China without jeopardising IP rights better than the ones doing just that, such as Crayfish. And who else can claim to be better informed, skilled and experienced in preventing and mitigating IP risks in China than the IP service firms based in that market?

All three were present at a one-day in-person briefing on the latest developments in China’s IP sector, and strategies to safeguard and commercialise innovations held on May 24 in Cambridge.

Here are the 5 steps to mitigate IP risks in China, shared by the China IP Attaché Team visiting from the British Embassy in Beijing:

• Understand the differences – the scale and the systems
• Know what to expect – what are protected, not protected, and the typical IP infringement
• Secure IP rights – direct filing through CNIPA, Madrid System or PCT, and voluntary filing of  “recordal” for copyrights
• Manage partner relationships –  lots of decisions and choices to make at this stage, keywords include contracts, enforceability, languages, templates, governing laws, dispute resolution forums, and compliance issues you can’t afford to ignore. 
• Enforce IP rights – remedies available at different levels, challenges still exist, too.

The presentation gave extra space to a widespread and systematic problem in China, bad-faith trademarks due to its prevalence and impacts on the original IP owners. The best protection against this, as recommended by the IP experts, is to register as early as possible. Remedies are available in case you need them.  

For British SMEs and/or tech start-ups, an 8-point checklist, a list of keywords and relevant factsheets were shared at the event, as well.

Event description

The technology and digital landscape in China for overseas companies is complex and requires a nuanced approach to assess viable and secure export and licensing opportunities. Intellectual property risk is the top consideration, and companies must work hard to put the right safeguards in place as part of their commercial strategy in China. 

Join us on Wednesday 24th May, 10am-12:30pm in Cambridge to hear from UK government and experts on China’s IP protection & enforcement landscape, and strategies for safe commercialization in the current trading environment. The seminar will cover:

–        Exclusive in-person briefing by the UK Intellectual Property Attaché visiting from the British Embassy in Beijing

–        Best practices for overseas companies protecting and enforcing IP in China with Crayfish.io and partners Sinofaith IP Group

–        Closed-door Q&A and optional 1:1 briefing sessions for participating companies.

–        Opportunity to network with panel of speakers and other companies