Lately, the Office of IPR Protection Working Group of Henan Province (hereinafter referred to as the Office) convened a symposium on IPR protection for foreign-invested enterprises for the first time. Seven member units including Henan Provincial Intellectual Property Office (IPO), Henan Provincial Public Security Department, Henan Provincial Commerce Department, Henan Provincial Industry and Commerce Department, Henan Provincial Quality Supervision Bureau, Henan Provincial Higher People’s Court and Zhengzhou Customs exchanged ideas with 20 foreign-invested enterprises in Henan Province. The Office Head and Director of Henan Provincial IPO Guo Minsheng attended and delivered the symposium.

Guo Minsheng pointed out that in recent years, the foreign-invested enterprises located in Henan Province contributed a lot to Henan’s economic and social development. However, during the process of production, operation, sales, management and research and development, these enterprises also encounter issues such as counterfeiting, online infringement and loopholes in IPR management. To create more favorable business environment for foreign-invested enterprises, the Office and Henan Provincial IPR Strategy Work Leading Group Office further enhanced communications and inter-sectional cooperation.

At the symposium, Vice Director of Henan Provincial IPO Han Ping briefed on the development of foreign-invested enterprises in Henan Province and the IPR protection in 2011 in the province. He pointed out that last year, the whole province allured over 400 billion yuan of foreign investment, and 72 out of 500 top enterprises of the world settled in Henan.

The participating member units introduced their functions and answered the IPR-related questions raised by foreign-invested enterprises. For those puzzles in need of efforts of several sectors, member units expressed to change views with enterprises after the symposium.

The symposium made the public know the achievements and latest progress of IPR protection work of the province. Through the symposium, communications between competent authorities and foreign-invested enterprises were enhanced, and the opinions and suggestions of foreign-invested enterprises on IPR protection work were timely revealed.