Practical workshop on managing IP risk in UK-China collaborative research and technology commercialisation
China is the world’s fastest growing major economy, and a major source of funding for science and innovation. Still a developing country, China has already reached – and in some fields surpassed – levels of scientific output and technology deployment in economically more advanced countries. By many measures, China’s intellectual property (IP) system is now the biggest in the world, with more patent applications filed in China each year than in the US, Japan, Korea and Europe combined.
China also has a seemingly insatiable appetite for working with world-leading technology experts, including from the UK.
But IP in China is never far from the news headlines. Both the US and EU have filed IP-related “requests for consultations” at the WTO, an early stage of the trade dispute resolution process. Criticisms include that Chinese IP, industrial and technology policy limits long-term benefits for China’s international partners.
This workshop aims to cut through the hype – both positive and negative – and provide practical advice on how to mitigate IP risk in UK-China technology projects.
Workshop content
The workshop will be hosted by CBBC and Tom Duke, the UK’s IP Attaché to China. Tom has been posted to the British Embassy Beijing since December 2011. He runs IP policy programmes with the Chinese government, and provides support to hundreds of British companies and academic researchers each year.
Chinese law and practice is different to in the UK. Standard legal templates for collaboration agreements, licensing contracts and NDAs are almost certainly not suitable for China. This workshop will discuss why, and share experiences of how to address the risks.
The workshop will cover topics such as Chinese legal restrictions on foreign ownership of – and access to – IP jointly developed in China with Chinese entities (including under the Technology Import-Export Regulations, TIER), and approval systems for Chinese entities to share background IP with foreign partners, which can delay bilateral projects.
The workshop is not sector-specific, and will build on the resources already available to British innovators, including:
- The IP Annex of the UK-China Joint Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy.
- A template Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) for UK-China technology projects.
- A CBBC-Rouse Toolkit on Innovation and R&D in China.
RSVP and further information
This workshop is designed for people that are directly working on UK-China collaborative research and technology transfer projects, for example as researchers, project leads or legal advisors. The workshop will primarily focus on projects taking place in China, but much of the content will also apply to UK-based activity with Chinese entities. We welcome participants from both universities and companies.
Please note that places are limited. We will confirm attendance based on suitability and on a first-come-first served basis. We may also limit places allocated to any single institution, in order to allow more partners to attend.
Networking and short 1-2-1 consultations with Tom Duke will be available immediately after the meeting. Once you have signed up for the workshop, you will have the option to book in for a 1-2-1 consultation.
Event Address: China-Britain Business Council, 3rd Floor, Portland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5BH