Intellectual Property Law Alliance of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area 2020 Annual Conference and the “Macao Forum for Intellectual Property” Held

The Intellectual Property Law Alliance of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (IPLAG) 2020 Annual Conference and the “Macao Forum for Intellectual Property”, organized by IPLAG and hosted by the Faculty of Law of Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Macao Intellectual Property Research Centre, was held on December 10 at 9:30 a.m. in Lecture Hall 101, Block N of MUST. The Annual Conference was supported by the Macao SAR Government Higher Education Fund and the Macau University of Science and Technology Foundation.

Group Photo of Guests and Speakers

Guests and participants of the Annual Conference include: Huang Wenjun, Deputy Ministerial Assistant, and Lü Weihua, Director Assistant, from the Legal Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region; Lam Man Tat, Director of the General Affairs Office of the Higher Education Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government; Lin Zhijun, Vice President of the Macau University of Science and Technology; Professor Wu Handong, Honorary Director of the Center for Intellectual Property Studies of the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law and Wenlan Senior Professor; Professor Fang Quan, Chairwoman of the IPLAG and Dean of the MUST Faculty of Law; representatives of the institutional board members of the IPLAG, legal professionals, and more than 100 faculty and students of the MUST Faculty of Law. The Conference was conducted simultaneously online, and some speakers managed to present and participate through the internet.

In his speech, Vice President Lin Zhijun pointed out that this Conference took place during the second year after the release of the Outline of the Development of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and at the time of signing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. It was the appropriate time to discuss how to promote the modernization of the rule of law of intellectual property in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, how to promote the development and protection of intellectual property, how to prevent international and domestic intellectual property risks, especially in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which has the strongest economic growth in China, and how to eventually actively guide the integration process of laws on these issues in different legal systems. All these issues are of great theoretical and practical importance. Vice President Lin Zhijun shared with the guests the contribution of the Macau University of Science and Technology to the development of intellectual property rights in the Greater Bay Area in recent years, and the promotion of intellectual property rights development and protection in the Greater Bay Area by the MUST School of Law.

MUST Vice President Lin Zhijun Giving a Speech

IPLAG Chairwoman and the Dean of MUST Law Faculty, Professor Fang Quan, pointed out in her speech that the Sino-US trade war and the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement both occurred in the second year of the implementation of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Plan. This situation brought new development opportunities for intellectual property, as well as new risks. She hoped that the experts and scholars attending the Conference could pool their wisdom, collaborate with each other and produce fruitful results.

IPLAG Chairwoman and Dean of MUST Law Faculty, Professor Fang Quan, Giving a Speech

Before the forum started, Honorary Director of Macao Intellectual Property Research Center, Distinguished Professor of the MUST Law Faculty, and Honorary Director of the Center for Intellectual Property Research of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Professor Wu Handong, presented Professor Fang Quan and Associate Professor Yi Zaicheng with the appointment certificates to become part-time researchers of the Center for Intellectual Property Research of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, and delivered a keynote speech entitled “International Changes of the Intellectual Property System and China’s Responses”.

Professor Wu Handong (middle) Presenting Certificates of Appointment to Dean Professor Fang Quan and Associate Professor Yi Zaicheng

Professor Wu Handong Giving a Keynote Speech

Nearly 30 experts and scholars from Peking University, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Guangzhou University, Shenzhen University, Sun Yat-sen University, South China University of Technology, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, South China Normal University and local universities, institutions and law firms from Macao presented and participated in discussions on three themes of the Conference: “Theoretical Research on Intellectual Property System”, “Intellectual Property Innovation and Protection Practice”, and “Intellectual Property Industry, Law, and Policy in the Greater Bay Area (Macao)”.

Professor Dong Hao from Macau Legal System Research Center of Guangzhou University presided over the first session of the Conference. Professor Xu Xuan from the Institute of Intellectual Property of Jinan University, Professor Zhang Ping from the Law School of Peking University, Professor Peng Xuelong from the Intellectual Property Research Center of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Professor Li Yang from the Law School of Sun Yat-sen University, Professor Xie Huijia from the Law School of South China University of Technology, Professor Yao Zhiwei of the Law School of Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, and the General Manager of Qixianqin National Intellectual Property Operation Platform, Ji Jie, all shared their research and experiences on theories of intellectual property. Professor Huang Yaying from the School of Intellectual Property of Shenzhen University commented on their presentations and shared his professional views.

Professor Fang Wencui from the Law School of Guangdong University of Finance and Economics presided over the second session. Professor Ye Weiping from the Institute of Innovation and Development of Shenzhen University, Secretary General Lai Hongchuan from the Intellectual Property Association of Guangzhou Development Zone, Professor Liu Ping from the Law School of Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, Vice President Xu Zhiming from the Zhuhai Court of International Arbitration, Researcher Wang Xuan from the Macau Legal System Research Center of Guangzhou University, and Distinguished Researcher Wang Yinghang from the Law School of South China Normal University presented their insights on “Intellectual Property Innovation and Protection Practice”. Associate Professor Shen Yunqiao from the MUST Law Faculty provided excellent comments during this session. 

Researcher Zhu Zhifeng from the Social Science Frontline presided over the third session of the Conference. Chairman Zhang Chi of Guangdong Zhongce Institute of Intellectual Property, Partner and Director Chen Yi from ZLF Law Office, Deputy Director Zhang Qiuyue from China (Zhuhai) Intellectual Property Protection Center, Lawyer Huang Weijing from Macau Huang Xianhui law firm, Barrister Li Huanjiang from Macau Lektou law firm (reported by Lawyer Zheng Jiannan on behalf of him), and Mr. Zhou Jianjun, Postdoctoral Fellow of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies Law School, shared their views on “Intellectual Property Industry, Law and Policy in the Greater Bay Area (Macao)”. Tan Weihua, Partner at Beijing Deheng (Zhuhai) law firm, provided comprehensive comments to their presentations. 

Conference in Session

At the closing ceremony, the Secretary General of the IPLAG and Associate Professor of the MUST Law Faculty, Yi Zaicheng, summarized the forum achievements and delivered a closing speech on behalf of the Alliance.

Secretary General of IPLAG and Associate Professor of MUST Law Faculty, Yi Zaicheng, Delivering the Closing Speech for the Conference

In the afternoon of December 9, the third meeting of the Alliance Board was held, during which the representatives unanimously agreed to approve six institutions, including the Peking University Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Institute of Intellectual Property, to join the Alliance as new institutional members of the Board. The number of governing institutions of the Alliance reached 33.

Board Meeting of the IPLAG

The Intellectual Property Law Alliance of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (IPLAG) was established with the initiative of the Faculty of Law of Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Macao Intellectual Property Research Center and in collaboration with the Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong and the School of Intellectual Property of Jinan University. First batch of institutional members of the Alliance include 26 institutions from all sectors of legal research, practice and legal services. The MUST Law Faculty is the Chair institution of the Board of Directors, and the Secretariat of IPLAG is located at the Macao Intellectual Property Research Center, a research partner in humanities and social sciences recognized by the Ministry of Education.