Intellectual Property and the Internet Discussed at World Internet Conference

December 21, 2015

Intellectual property (IP) issues took center stage at a high-level sub-forum, co-organized by WIPO, which took place at the Second World Internet Conference (WIC) in Wuzhen (China) from 16-18 December. The sub-forum, entitled “IP Perspectives on Innovation and Creativity”, focused the conference’s attention on the role of IP in the development and evolution of the Internet.

The sub-forum was part of the High-Level Forum on the Internet and Innovation. It attracted significant attention and an audience of nearly 300 conference participants. In addition to considering how IP has shaped the growth of the Internet, participants considered a range of future opportunities and challenges for innovative and creative industries as Internet business models continue to change with lightning speed.

Participants at the sub-forum — (Photo: Lian Ke, China Youth Tourism)

The event featured senior executives from leading Internet companies including Xiaomi Technologies, Tencent, Microsoft and iQIYI, as well as international perspectives from senior representatives of government, industry and academia from Brazil, China, Kenya, Mexico, and South Africa.

The sub-forum was organized by WIPO, the National Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and the State Intellectual Property Office of P. R. China (SIPO).

Sub-forum: Opening addresses

Opening remarks highlighting current issues and challenges regarding IP and the Internet were given by a minister or senior representative of:

WIPO;
SIPO;
the State Administration of Industry and Commerce of P. R. China (SAIC); and
the National Copyright Administration of P. R. China (NCAC).

Keynote addresses providing a framework for the subsequent panel discussions on innovative and creative industries were given by representatives of both WIPO and CAC, and closing remarks on future trends were provided by the President of the China Intellectual Property Society.

The wider context

WIPO representatives and invited speakers also participated actively in other parts of the WIC, including the opening ceremony, which was addressed by His Excellency Mr. Xi Jinping, President of China, together with six presidents and prime ministers. The closing ceremony also featured remarks from senior representatives of governments and the private sector.

The WIC was organized by CAC and the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province and sponsored by WIPO, UNDESA, ITU, and WEF. The WIPO Office in China coordinated WIPO's participation, which also involved representatives from WIPO Headquarters in Geneva. WIPO’s participation was widely covered by local media and reported online.