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UK-China Cooperation on Intellectual Property
The UK aims to promote the non-discriminatory and transparent application of IP rules within national IP regimes.
This webpage is about intellectual property ( IP) cooperation between the UK and China. For basic information on protecting and enforcing IP in China, please go to the publications section below.
The UK aims to build an efficient, respected international IP system. This includes promoting non-discriminatory and transparent application of IP rules within national IP regimes.
Bilateral Cooperation
The UK Intellectual Property Office ( UKIPO) has cooperation relationships with a number of Chinese government agencies working on IP. The UK IPO and China’s State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) signed a cooperation agreement in 1996 covering patents and designs. The UKIPO signed a framework for cooperation on trade marks with China’s State Administration for Industry & Commerce (SAIC) in 2009, and has operated a formal programme for cooperation with the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC) since 2010.
In addition, the UK IPO works with other UK Government partners and China’s State Council Information Office to hold regular UK-China Internet Forums. These events look specifically at issues which both China and the UK face in managing copyright on the internet, including peer-to-peer file sharing and live streaming of sporting events.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office ( FCDO) and UK IPO fund a number of cooperation projects on important IP topics in China. These include online IP infringement; copyright enforcement; protection of geographical indications; IP in technology transfer and collaborative research; and facilitating exchanges between IP judiciaries.
IP Attaché
Since December 2011 the UK IPO has based an attaché in the British Embassy in Beijing, working with representatives from UKTI and the FCDO. The position is central to the government’s plans to enhance trade relations and to support IP and innovation-led businesses abroad.
IP attachés provide a focal point in host countries for supporting UK businesses with IP related issues, promoting UK Government interests and working with local IP agencies. Attachés help to build relations with governments of host countries to understand and actively engage with IP policy makers.