Two China IPR Webinars, May 10 And May 17

The United States Commerce Department, Office of China Economic Area, will be putting on two webinars this month on intellectual property (IP) in China (h/t to Asia Business Intelligence).  I have listened in on a few of these webinars and they tend to be very good.

The first will be on May 10, from 2:00 p.m. through 3:30 p.m. EST and will be the United States Trade Representative (USTR) "Reports on Local Enforcement of Intellectual Property in China: Special Provincial Review and Special 301 Report."  This report examines the "adequacy and effectiveness of IPR protection and enforcement at the provincial level in China."  These reports are based on "numerous teams of U.S. government officials [having gone] to many provinces across China meeting with local Chinese government officials, conducting site visits to hot spots of pirating and counterfeiting activity and solicited two rounds of public comments."  USTR Chief Negotiator for IP Enforcement Stanford McCoy, and Senior Director for China Amy Celico will be leading this webinar, which will provide "an in-depth discussion of this year-long fact finding mission and the results of this year's Special 301 Report on China."  A copy of the Special 301 report can be found here [pdf].

The second webinar will be on May 17, also from 2:00 p.m. through 3:30 p.m.  This one will be on China's 2007 IPR Action Plan and will be led by China's Counselor for IP Dr. Yang Guohua.  Dr. Guohua will discuss China's "2007 IPR Action plan which documents initiatives planned in 2007 by a number of China's IP related agencies. This year's plan has over 276 measures."  Dr. Guohua's talk "will focus on "the major projects to be completed in this plan and points out areas of interest to foreign rightholders."  An English language version of China's IPR plan can be found here. 

Both events are free.  To register, you must send your contact information to ChinaIPR@mail.doc.gov and registration confirmation and dial-in/log-in instructions will follow.  Only a phone line and a computer with internet are required to participate.