Hong Kong (HKSAR) - The "World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Regional Symposium on Management of Intellectual Capital, Intellectual Assets and Intellectual Property" was opened in Hong Kong today (October 29). The two-day symposium is organised by the WIPO and the Government of China, and hosted by the Intellectual Property Department (IPD) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The Assistant Director-General of WIPO, Ms Wang Binying; the Director General, International Co-operation Department of the State Intellectual Property Office of thePeople’s Republic of China, Mr Lu Guoliang; and the Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Commerce, Industry and Tourism), Miss Yvonne Choi, officiated at the opening ceremony.
At the symposium, speakers will explain the important principles of intellectual capital management, intellectual assets management and intellectual property management. Case studies are cited to show how these tools would help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Asia-Pacific enhance their ability to manage their intellectual property effectively, and the benefits that will be brought, in the context of their overall business strategy and practices. Addressing the opening ceremony, Miss Choi said, "We see merits for enterprises in the region to adopt the Intellectual Capital Management (ICM) concept and systematically take stock of their intellectual capital.
To this end, the Intellectual Property Department, together with the Innovation and Technology Commission and the Trade and Industry Department, launched an ICM Consultancy Programme in March to help enterprises maximise their business potential and compete more effectively in the global market. "With a better idea of their asset portfolio, enterprises are better positioned to devise their strategy for creating value," she said. The symposium was attended by more than 200 participants, including government officials, academics, representatives from intellectual property-related organisations and SMEs in the Asia-Pacific region as well as senior representatives from the intellectual property offices of 19 countries - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
Guest speakers comprise experts from the Mainland, the United States, Australia, Holland, Hong Kong, Japan, Liechtenstein, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom and WIPO. WIPO is a specialised agency of the United Nations with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. It is dedicated to developing a balanced and accessible international intellectual property system, which rewards creativity, stimulates innovation and contributes to economic development while safeguarding the public interest.
WIPO was established by the WIPO Convention in 1967 with a mandate from its member states to promote the protection of IP throughout the world through co-operation among states and in collaboration with other international organisations. It now has 184 member states. For the programme of the symposium, please visit IPD’s website www.ipd.gov.hk.
Source: gov.hk