The first release
The most prominent highlight of the Forum is the first release of Report on the Career Situation of IP Managers in China and Recommendation of Global IP Service Agencies with Chinese Business.
Kevin Nie, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China IP, released the Report on the Career Situation of IP Managers in China. The Report, with wide-ranging content, was concluded from the research conducted by the IP Research Team of the magazine which lasted for half a year. The Report showed that China has a serious short supply of IP talents. For corporate IP managers, besides the low income, many of their working requirements and conditions cannot be satisfied. The above situations lead to the waste of talents to some extent. Generally speaking, the career situation of IP managers in China is not optimistic. The Report overturned many notions held by others on in-house IP managers.
Recommendation of Global IP Service Agencies with Chinese Business was released by Jane Jiang, Director of International Marketing Department of China IP. As the first survey on global IP service agencies with Chinese business in China, the Research Team of China IP devoted tremendous human and material resources. From August 1st Forum Highlights to December 31st 2012, over 2000 questionnaires were sent out, covering IP service agencies from 52 countries. 502 agencies replied with valid statistics. Meanwhile, 121 recommendation forms were completed by industry insiders from in-house IP departments, scientific institutes, the Chinese judicial system and various IP related organizations.
These recommendations ensured the authority and objectiveness of the final report.
The project was carried out mainly in the form of questionnaires. With the aim of colleting comprehensive data, special columns were opened on China IP and its official website, China Daily- IPR Weekly, IPR Channel of China Daily Website and Weibo. Meanwhile, a special research team was founded to contact international IP service agencies, track the process, analyze the feedback and finally formulate the “Recommendation of Global IP Service Agencies with Chinese Business.”
The grand award ceremony
The Forum is definitely a prestigious event for Chinese In-house IP managers; it is the first event in China focusing on in-house IP managers.
The award ceremony was another upsurge of the Forum. The awards unfolded under great expectations. 20 IP managers from domestic and transnational corporations including Siemens, IBM, Panasonic, Beiqi Foton Motor, SANY Heavy Industry, Lenovo, Founder Group, ZTE and Tencent etc. received awards of “Outstanding In-house IP Managers in China (2012).”
Prof. Liu Chuntian, Dean of the Intellectual Property Academy of Renmin University of China, Chairman of the China Intellectual Property Law Society, Prof. Qu Sanqiang, Dean of Law School of Beijing Institute of Technology, and Jack Chang, Vice Chairman of the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment (CAEFI) as well as the Chairman of Quality Brands Protection Committee of CAEFI (QBPC) won the award of “China IP Most Influential People (2012).” As the leading academic authority on intellectual property law and international treaties, Prof. Guo Shoukang of the Law School of Renmin University of China was honored with the “China IP Lifetime Achievement Award.” Moreover, 8 organizations including the Copyright Society of China, Mysipo.com and Beijing IP Development Salon won the prize of “China IP Special Award of Merit (2012).” Hosts of the ceremony stated that the awards ceremony is an open and non-commercial event, each award winner was elected and evaluated by the Expert Committee under deliberate considerations, taking into account of new evaluation models such as netizen voting and peers reviews.
Anecdotes
IP is unfathomable for the general public, and IP practitioners are often considered to be serious routinists. However, when they were on the stage of the Forum, they showed their hidden characteristics: modest, pragmatic, enthusiastic and versatile. During the award ceremony, Jack Chang said that his dream is to be a rock musician, and though he is now an IP manager, his dream is still alive. He sang a rock and roll song after receiving his award, and surprised the audience with his charisma. Zhang Xiuping, Vice Chairman of Copyright Society of China, showed his skills on the Peking Opera.
The 3rd China IP Annual Forum concluded in joyous fashion, its remarkable moments were countless. The Forum could not have been so successful without China IP’s diligent working staff. China IP will make greater effort in the future and will devote itself to China’s IP industry.
(Translated by Emily Tan)
