On April 21, Watson & Band’s Senior Founding Partner, Mr. Shenmin Xu, Managing Partner, Ms. Jean Yang, and Vice General Manager of Watson & Band Intellectual Property Agent Ltd., Mr. Yingcong Xu, were invited to attend the “2018 Shanghai Pujiang Intellectual Property International Forum” (the “Forum”). The Forum was jointly hosted by the Council for Promoting South-South Cooperation, the Shanghai Association of Experts with Outstanding Contributions, the Shanghai Pujiang Enterprise Intellectual Property Cooperation and Exchange Promotion Center, and the International Intellectual Property Commercialization Promotion Center.

In the panel session that afternoon, Mr. Yingcong Xu delivered a speech entitled “Tips on Enterprises’ IP Portfolio under the Belt and Road Strategy”. The tips he provided included: (i) in view of the increasing numbers of patent applications filed by Chinese applicants in the Belt and Road countries since the implementation of the Strategy, the enterprises should grasp the opportunity and timely file their patent applications; (ii) the enterprises should base their patent portfolios on the market needs; and (iii) the enterprises should pay attention to the relevant legislation and policies, so as to optimize their IP portfolios and efficiency.

Ms. Jean Yang delivered a speech that centered on the OEM issue in the Road and Belt process, in which she shared her thoughts on the foreign OEM during the implementation of the Strategy. First, she introduced the problems and their primary models that existed in the current OEM situation. Second, she provided an in-depth analysis on the transition in identification of trademark infringement involved in OEM process (i.e. from infringement to concurrence of infringement and non-infringement and then to an inclination for non-infringement) to elaborate on the issues of trademark infringement identification and customs protection involved in the OEM process. Finally, she summarized the matters that should be noted for overseas OEM of Chinese brands under the Strategy, and provided suggestions for the potential risks therein. Following the speech, Ms. Yang had further discussions with the attendees over the OEM issue.

The Forum attracted domestic and foreign guests from government authorities, enterprises and intellectual property agencies. The guests shared their opinions for the joint purpose of promoting the Belt and Road Strategy. Watson & Band, with its strengths in the intellectual property area, shared its unique and sharp views on the research findings under the national Strategy to promote the exploitation of the international market along the Belt and Road.