BIP Asia Forum highlights growing demand for IP services in Asia

ThefiftheditionofBIPAsiawasheldon3and4DecemberattheHongKongConventionandExhibitionCentre(HKCEC).Thisyear’sBusinessofIntellectualPropertyAsia(BIPAsia)ForumhighlightedgrowingdemandforIPservicesinAsiaaswellasHongKong’sstrengthsasaregionalhubforIP-relatedbusiness.

CYLeung,ChiefExecutiveoftheHKSARGovernment,andMargaretFong,HKTDCExecutiveDirector,spokeattheopeningofBIPAsiaon3December.

Adoptingthethemeof“IP:TransformingGlobalBusiness”,theeventfeaturedmorethan80prominentspeakersandover2,400IPprofessionalsfrom37countriesandregions,a16percentincreasecomparedtolastyear.Therewasalsoan85percentincreaseinparticipantsfromBeltandRoadcountriesandregionssuchasIndia,Indonesia,Thailand,thePhilippines,andtheUnitedArabEmirates,demonstratingrisingdemandforIPservicesintheregion.

IPopportunitiesundertheBeltandRoadInitiative

China’sBeltandRoadInitiativeaimstopromoteeconomicgrowththroughclosercollaborationamongthemorethan60countriesandregionsalongtheBeltandRoadroutes,whichstretchfromChinatoEuropeviaAsia,theMiddleEastandAfrica.

“AstheglobalusageofIPincreasesexponentially,moreandmorecompanieswishtotransformtheirbusinessandgainacompetitiveedgethroughintellectualpropertytrading,”saidHKTDCDeputyExecutiveDirectorRaymondYip.“UndertheBeltandRoadInitiative,thedemandforintellectualpropertyandrelevanthigh-endprofessionalservicesintheChinesemainlandandregionsalongtherouteswillprovidehugeopportunitiesforHongKongcompanies.”

SpeakingatBIPAsia,ShenChangyu,CommissioneroftheStateIntellectualPropertyOfficeofthePeople’sRepublicofChina,said:“Chinaisnowactivelyseekingtostrengthentheprotectionandapplicationforintellectualpropertytobuildanenvironmentforcreativeendeavours.Asaninternationalcity,HongKonghasinherentadvantagesintrading,commerce,andshipping,andthepotentialtobecomeAsia’sintellectualpropertytradingplatform.”

ShenChangyu,CommissioneroftheStateIntellectualPropertyOfficeofthePeople’sRepublicofChina made a speech at the forum.

Survey:HongKongisastrongIPtradingplatform

Duringtheforum,anindependentsurveyconductedbyNielsenandcommissionedbytheHKTDC,interviewed515participantsabouttheoutlookfortheIPindustry.RespondentsgenerallybelievethatHongKongperformsbetterthanothermajorcountriesandcitiesinAsiaintermsofitsIPenvironment.OnHongKong’slegalsystemandprotectionofintellectualproperty,75percentofrespondentsbelievethatHongKongisgoodorextremelygood.

ForIPadvisoryservices,68percentofrespondentsratedHongKongasgoodorextremelygood.Meanwhile,64percentofrespondentsbelievethatthediversityandqualityofHongKong’sIPprofessionalservicesaregoodorextremelygood.Overhalf(52%)oftherespondentsbelievethatHongKongisagood,orextremelygoodIPfinancingplatform.MostrespondentsratedHongKonghigherthanothermajorAsiancountriesandcitiesasanIPtradingplatform.

PlenarysessionstackletheBeltandRoad

AnumberofplenarysessionswerearrangedtoshedmorelightontheimplicationsoftheBeltandRoadInitiativeforIP-relatedbusiness.Theplenaryentitled“ANewEraofCooperation–IPOpportunitiesundertheBeltandRoadInitiative”featuredspeakersincludingProfLiuChuntian,Dean,theRenminUniversityofChina(RUC)IPAcademyDirector,theRUCIPTeaching&ResearchCenter,DwiAnitaDaruherdani,SecretaryGeneral,IndonesianIPAttorneysAssociationandIgorDrozdov,SeniorVicePresident&ChiefLegalCounsel,SkolkovoFoundation.Attractingmorethan500IPprofessionals,thesessionfocusedontheimpactoftheBeltandRoadonIPtradinginAsianandglobalmarkets.

The two-dayBusinessofIntellectualPropertyAsia(BIPAsia)Forumdrew

morethan2,400IPprofessionalsfrom37countriesandregions,a16percentincreasecomparedtothepreviousyear.Therewasalsoan85percentincreaseinparticipantsfromBeltandRoadcountriesandregions.

Meanwhile,morethan60businessleadersfromIndonesia,Israel,Malaysia,Russia,theUAE,Vietnam,theChinesemainland,andHongKongparticipatedinaRoundtableMeetingtoanalysebusinessopportunitiesfortheIPmarketundertheBeltandRoadInitiative.