Source: China IP News

We, heads and representatives of intellectual property (IP) authorities of countries along the "Belt & Road Initiative" (BRI Countries), held the 2018 Round Table on Intellectual Property for Countries along the Belt and Road on August 29th 2018 in Beijing, China.

Reviewing progress of IP cooperation since the High-level Conference on Intellectual Property for Countries along the "Belt and Road"(High-level Conference) in 2016, and discussed on further strengthening IP cooperation among the BRI Countries,

Recognizing the vital role that IP cooperation plays in incentivizing innovation and promoting economic and cultural prosperity and trade among the BRI Countries, and

Acknowledging contribution to IP cooperation among the BRI Countries by the Common Initiatives for Strengthening Cooperation between Countries along the "Belt and Road" in the Field of Intellectual Property (Common Initiatives) adopted at the High-level Conference in 2016,

We agree that, given the new international context, it is imperative to further strengthen the close, pragmatic and mutually beneficial cooperation among the IP authorities of the BRI Countries, enhance communication and coordination in all aspects of IP, deepen mutual understanding of IP regimes, reinforce capacity building of IP authorities, raise public IP awareness, nourish an IP ecosystem along the "Belt and Road" that is favorable for economic and social development in the BRI Countries, and facilitate their interconnection. 

We support the expansion of membership of WIPO-administered IP treaties and use of WIPO's global IP service systems.

We encourage the BRI Countries to participate in the following cooperation projects, as stated by the Common Initiatives:

——exchanges on IP laws and policies, supporting the construction of the web site dedicated to IP cooperation among BRI Countries, and promoting mutual understanding and trust between these countries in the IP field;

——research and exchanges on raising IP awareness, and sharing of experience and best practice thereof; and

——cooperation on capacity building to strengthen professional competence of IP authorities of the BRI Countries.

We encourage IP authorities of the BRI Countries, as they see desirable, to participate in the following cooperation projects:

——comparative studies on the processing procedures of invention patent, trademark and industrial design;

——data exchange in the fields of patent, trademark and industrial design, etc;

——Market research on selected countries to promote WIPO global IP services.

(Details of the cooperation projects to be found in Annex: Proposal on Cooperation projects)

We believe that, on the basis of the principles of "inclusiveness, development, cooperation and mutual benefit", the BRI Countries will continue to enhance pragmatic cooperation in the IP field, which will build up innovation capacity, unleash market potential, and promote sustainable growth in the region.