The FINANCIAL -- CC’s BASCAP group today launched a set of intellectual property (IP) guidelines designed to help businesses manage copyright and branded materials and deter trade in counterfeit and pirate goods.

The Intellectual Property Guidelines for Business was released in Chinese during a special session at the Pearl River Delta International Forum on Innovation and Intellectual Property. The IP Guidelines provides information to businesses on practical steps that they can take to protect their own innovation and creativity in IP-based products and services, as well as to protect against the risk of using counterfeit materials or infringing other companies’ IP rights.

ICC’s Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy initiative (BASCAP) launched the IP Guidelines in cooperation with the Global Intellectual Property Coalition, who sponsored the Forum.

"Copyright and branded goods are an important part of every modern economy. The most innovative and advanced sectors rely heavily on IP to support innovation in their own products and services. Nearly every enterprise today uses or produces some form of IP in its business – from its own trademarks on products, to copyrighted publications, music, video or software, to branded goods or services of all types," ICC informs.

The ICC/BASCAP IP Guidelines will help companies to assess the effectiveness of their IP management policies, and to consider new options for improving performance and managing the risks associated with counterfeiting and piracy. The IP Guidelines deals with IP management in all its forms within companies, from IP development to component sourcing, manufacturing, wholesaling, retailing, relations with intermediaries and handling of third parties’ IP.

“Counterfeiting and piracy of copyright and branded goods are a US $700 billion worldwide problem which hurts not only consumers but also businesses and the overall economy,” said Victor Chu, Executive Board member of the International Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of First Eastern Investment Group. 
                                                                                       Source: FINCHANNEL.COM