Risk analyses suggested before overseas expos

Companies should forecast potential intellectual property risks and prepare plans against those risks before attending international exhibitions, said Xiao Xiangqing, the IP bureau chief of Hunan province.

He made the remarks at a training course on international exhibition IP protection, which started on March 22 in the provincial capital of Changsha. The two-day event aimed to boost local companies' awareness of IP protection at international exhibitions and capabilities to handle IP disputes.

Delegates from local IP administrations, industrial parks and more than 140 companies participated in the training.

Xiao said that although exhibitions have become important stages for companies to showcase their products and technologies, some exhibits have been banned and confiscated because of suspected IP infringements.

He said a Hunan-based company went to Europe to attend a machinery exhibition several years ago and found local IP protection was too strict. After analysis, the company thought its products might infringe on IP rights and decided not to take part in the exhibition.

Risk analyses suggested before overseas expos

The training course, organized by the provincial IP bureau, included strategies of international applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, judicial protection of IP on exhibitions and exhibition-related IP protection in Germany and the United States, two main destinations of Hunan businesses for participating in exhibitions.

Zhu Junyi, a lawyer at German law firm Dr Meyer-Dulheuer & Partners, said companies should analyze profoundly other exhibitors and main competitors and have pre-arranged plans against potential risks.

Zhu said companies should ask lawyers for help if they receive warning letters and temporary restraining orders during exhibitions. If their products are confiscated, they may take measures such as lodging objections and compensation.

Chen Luchang, director of the IP department at Sany Group, one of the largest heavy equipment makers in China, said the training course provided a very good learning chance to enterprises.

"Laws differ among countries and will have changes," Chen said, adding that companies should make thorough research, learn the law system of the exhibition country and prepare plans against potential risks.

He said that once a competitor made a complaint against Sany about patent infringement at an exhibition in Germany. Sany solved the dispute in half an hour because it had done precautionary IP analysis, Chen said.

He said Sany does such an analysis every three months and rechecks it before attending an exhibition.