WIPO Deputy Director General: Trademark Protection for Brands Innovation and Creation

December 6, 2020

On December 5, 2020, the Opening Ceremony of the 2020 China International Trademark Festival was held in Nanchang, China. WIPO Deputy Director General Wang Binying sent a congratulatory message, which was read by Ms. Liu Hua, Director of the WIPO Office in China (WOC), who attended the ceremony. Jointly organized by the Chinese Trademark Association (CTA) and Nanchang People's Government, the 2020 China International Trademark Festival is themed on "Discuss trademark’s perspectives, Construct Brands’ Future". Mr. Ma Fu, President of the CTA, presided over the ceremony and Mr. He Zhiming, Deputy Commissioner of China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) attended the ceremony.

The abstract of the message of Ms. Wang Binying is as follows:

Innovation and creation is leading a new round of technological revolution, and intellectual property rights, including trademarks, are an integral part of the innovation and creation ecosystem. Trademarks, in particular, are playing an increasingly important role in stimulating scientific and technological innovation in SMEs, promoting economic recovery and development. Amid the spread of the COVID-19, the rapid recovery of China's economy and the experience of Chinese enterprises using brands power to expand their global market are worth sharing.

For the first time, the WIPO Global Innovation Index 2020 (GII) includes brands as a key intangible asset in the index system, using the indicator that an economy has the most valuable brands as a new evaluation indicator. It is worth noting that companies that invest more in innovation tend to invest heavily in branding. Whether it is large companies operating internationally, or SMEs providing products and services locally, they need to have trademarks and create brands. Not every trademark will become a brand, but the creation and development of any brand is based on trademark protection, and is an indispensable guarantee for the sustainable development of enterprises.

China is a major trademark country, with the largest number of registered trademarks and applications in the world. As the most important industry organization in China's trademark industry, the China Trademark Association has a large number of corporate members, including well-known brand enterprises. The China Trademark Association has done a lot of work in promoting the awareness, capacity building and training and policy research in trademark protection and promotion.

WIPO and the China Trademark Association have long maintained good relations of cooperation. As an observer, the China Trademark Association actively participates in WIPO activities and promotes cooperation and development in the international trademark industry.

In recent years, WIPO and the China Trademark Association have carried out fruitful cooperation in the promotion of the Madrid System for the International Registration of Trademarks, which has greatly promoted the rapid growth of the number of applications filed by the Madrid System in China and contributed to the development of Chinese enterprises and Chinese brands to the world. At the China International Trademark Festival, the Madrid Roundtable hosted by WIPO is also a traditional project of long-term cooperation between the two sides. Through this platform, it is our wish to provide the Chinese business community and professional institutions, as well as foreign enterprises doing business in China with up-to-date information on the development of the Madrid System, exchange experiences and practices, and listen to the views and suggestions of users.