Past Event
EU-CHINA Project on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights - IPR2
April 17, 2008
www.ipr2.org
Residence Palace right in the heart of Brussels’ EU district was the adequate venue for the launch of the Euro 16 million European Union - China IPR2 co-operation project on April 17, 2008. The representatives of the EPO European Patent Office member states, industry stakeholders and IP experts from European institutions were listening to the presentations of Gérard Giroud, Principal Director for International Affairs at the EPO, and Ewa Synowiec, Director for Intellectual Property at DG Trade.
EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, the high priest of liberalism had been following a “give for free” philosophy with regard to Intellectual Property Rights in the first half of his term in office. However, the enormous avalanche of counterfeited goods from the P.R. of China - today a synonym for IPR infringements - which has been inundating Europe, plus some pressure of his colleagues in the Commission had obviously contributed to a sharp revision of his prime targets. DG Trade is now spearheading the efforts to establish an environment for effective IPR enforcement in China.
The contracting partner of the Commission is the EPO in Munich, which is not a European Community institution, being given support from the National Offices of the EPO States and the European Office of Harmonisation of the Internal Market OHIM.
The stakeholder meeting was the first opportunity for industry representatives to provide their input directly to the project activities.
John Kuehmayer took the chance to explain in individual talks the very specific situation of counterfeited substandard marine equipment which for the time being does not cross the borders of the EU in crates, boxes or containers but is sitting firmly installed in the hulls of commercial or naval vessels temporarily sailing in European waters and posing a threat to health, equipment and environment.
Carlo Pandolfi, IPR2, www.ipr2.org
Tamryn Barker, IPR2, www.ipr2.org
Valentín Mir, EPO, www.epo.org
Gérard Giroud, EPO, www.epo.org
Carlo Pandolfi, IPR2, www.ipr2.org
André Heitz, WIPO, www.wipo,int
Tamryn Parker, IPR2, www.ipr2.org
Jing Shen, CESA, www.cesa.eu
John Kuehmayer, AMEM, www.amem.at
Valentín Mir, EPO, www.epo.org
Ewa Synowiec, DG Trade
Gérard Giroud, EPO, www.epo.int
Luc Pierre Devigne, DG Trade
Carlo Pandolfi, IPR2, www.ipr2.org
Tamryn Parker, IPR2, www.ipr2.org