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Singapore and China to Establish Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City as IP Model Zone

28-Oct-2014 | Source : | Visits : 8691
SINGAPORE – The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and the State Intellectual Property Office of China (SIPO) furthered bilateral relations on October 27, 2014, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance intellectual property cooperation between the two countries. A press release by IPOS stated that a key highlight of this agreement is the joint development of the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (SSGKC) between IPOS and SIPO.

The MoU was inked at the side-lines of the 11th Singapore-China Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting, which is co-chaired by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and China’s Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli. It will establish stronger cooperation and exchange of ideas and experiences in areas such as the formulation and implementation of intellectual property laws and policies; the development of intellectual property-related financial products, as well as intellectual property valuation and appraisal; development of intellectual property automation systems and exchange of intellectual property documentation and data. Among other things, it included a commitment to develop and implement a pilot program to improve intellectual property awareness and usage.

The MoU, which is effective for five years, expands on existing collaborations with China such as a Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) agreement signed in May 2013 to provide a faster and more cost effective route which businesses and innovators could employ to protect their inventions in both countries. 
Under the agreement, the SSGKC will be recognized as a “model zone for the intellectual property cooperation” between Singapore and China. It reaffirms an earlier agreement signed between IPOS’ subsidiary, IPOS International Pte Ltd (IPOS-I), the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City Investment and Development Co., Ltd (GKC CO) and the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City Administrative Committee (KCAC), to develop activities that will aid the development of the SSGKC as an IP Model Hub for China. These activities include forming an Advisory Panel to advise on the development plans of the GKC, helping companies to commercialize and develop their IP, undertaking capacity building and training and hosting study visits and exchanges.
An agreement was also established between the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City Administrative Committee and IPOS’ subsidiary, the IP Academy, on 22 October 2013, to build and deepen IP and IP management capabilities. As part of the SSGKC collaboration, IP Academy conducted a seminar in Guangzhou in February 2014, with the objective of intellectual property awareness and capacity building. The seminar was attended by more than 260 participants from the Chinese government, enterprises and court.
To continue these commitments, IP Academy is conducting a 10-day training program from 27 October until 7 November 2014. Focusing on intellectual property and its importance for economic growth and development at both the national and organizational levels, the program will see the participation of 20 Chinese government officials overseeing different sectors such as the legal, technology and economics. 
Mr Shen Changyu, SIPO’s Commissioner, commented, “This inter-governmental agreement is testament to the strong cooperative ties between China and Singapore. We look forward to working together to establish the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City as a model zone for intellectual property cooperation, and I believe that the collaboration will assist Chinese and Singaporean companies to better utilise their intellectual property in both markets.”
Mr Tan Yih San, IPOS' Chief Executive, said, "We are delighted to be given the opportunity to work with SIPO in the initiative to develop SSGKC as a model zone for IP. We will continue to work together to find new opportunities to enhance intellectual property and trade relations so that our creators can continue to utilize intellectual property as their competitive advantage.” 
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Law. IPOS advises and administers the Intellectual Property (IP) regime, promotes its usage and builds expertise to facilitate the development of Singapore’s IP eco-system. With IP fast becoming a critical asset in today’s global markets, IPOS aims to be a trusted partner to empower all creators in our knowledge economy. IPOS’ vision is for Singapore to be an IP Hub of Asia. More information on IPOS can be found onwww.ipos.gov.sg.
 
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