Japanese and Chinese Government Organizations Held Exchange of Views Toward Stronger Protection of Intellectual Property Rights

The IP WG was established in June 2009 based on the Memorandum of Understanding on Exchanges and Cooperation for the Protection of Intellectual Property (IP) Rights which was agreed to between the METI Minister and China's Minister of Commerce (MOFCOM). The 9th meeting of the IP WG was held online and co-chaired by Mr. Shimizu Mikiharu, Director-General of the Policy Planning and Coordination Department, the Japan Patent Office, and Mr. Li Ming, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Treaty and Law, MOFCOM. The participants included representatives from a broad range of Japanese and Chinese government organizations, and information and views were exchanged on various topics related to protecting intellectual property.

In addition to confirming matters regarding Japanese and Chinese strategies on intellectual property, the participants exchanged information on the overall picture of the reforms of the legal systems regarding intellectual property in recent years, and on trends regarding revision of copyright law. They also exchanged views on Japanese and Chinese regulations and operations to prevent the bad faith applications for trademarks, and on their systems for protecting labeling that indicates geographical information.
The participants agreed to hold the IP WG's next meeting (its 10th) next fiscal year.

Deepening mutually beneficial exchanges and cooperative relations between Japan and China in the field of intellectual property through the continuous holding of IP WG meetings is expected to lead to further progress in the development of the environment and cooperation for protecting intellectual property through efforts by Japan and China.

Participating organizations from Japan and China

Japanese side

METI (Commerce and Information Policy Bureau; the Japan Patent Office); Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters, Cabinet Office; National Police Agency; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Finance (National Tax Agency), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
(Observers: Supreme Court of Japan; Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO))

Chinese side

MOFCOM (Department of Treaty and Law; Department of Asian Affairs); National Copyright Administration; Supreme People's Court; Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Ministry of Culture and Tourism; State Administration for Market Regulation (Operation Inspection Bureau); China National Intellectual Property Administration; China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)

Division in Charge

International Cooperation Division, Policy Planning and Coordination Department, Japan Patent Office