Minutes - TRIPS Council - View details of the intervention/statement

H.E. Ambassador Xolelwa Mlumbi-Peter (South Africa)
13 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND INNOVATION: MAKING MSMES COMPETITIVE - MAKING MSMES COMPETITIVE THROUGH INCLUSIVE PROTECTION OF VARIOUS IPS
734.   Like many other Members, China fully recognizes the important roles of MSMEs in boosting our national economic development, driving innovation, expanding employment and meeting people's demands. We have taken many measures, including relevant IP measures, to advance the innovation and development in MSMEs. 735.   First, China implemented the Project of Promoting IP Strategies among Small and Mediumsized Enterprises in 2016. In the Project, China National IP Administration (or CNIPA) together with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (or MIIT) put forward specific measures for improving MSMEs' IP creation, utilization, protection and management capabilities. Pilot policies are carried out among 35 industry parks in 20 pilot cities where MSMEs are concentrated. Take a few pilot measures for example. We provide MSMEs regularly with IP information of high quality and low cost. We establish an R&D system for patented technologies which allows universities, research institutions to directly place orders with MSMEs. We also launched targeted and specialized IP enforcement activities to protect IP of MSMEs. 736.   Second, China helps MSMEs to optimize IP management strategy. CNIPA and other government authorities issued the national standard on IP Management for Enterprises. As a recommended standard, this document aims to enhance enterprises' IP management in the whole process of project initiation, R&D, procurement, production, sales and post-sales services and to improve the quality of innovation in a comprehensive manner. Besides, to assist MSMEs to have an accurate understanding and effective implementation of the standard, some provinces in China establish service points to offer free consultation services and hold specialized workshops and seminars, so that MSMEs could learn more about the standard, build up IP management systems that suit their own needs and support their own development strategies. 737.   Third, China has made efforts to address the difficulty of MSMEs to obtain IP financing. By facilitating IP pledge registration procedures, the IP pledge and financing system have been improved. During the COVID-19, we establish green passages for patent and trademark pledge registrations, which immediately process enterprises' applications for IP pledge and help enterprises to get rapid financing. In 2019 alone, the total amount of financing deriving from patent and trademark pledge in China adds up to RMB 151.5 billion, which has increased by 23.8% compared with the year before. 738.   We are more than willing to hear from Members' policies and practices.
The Council took note of the statements made.
75. The Chair said that the agenda item had been requested by Australia, Canada, Chile, the European Union, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, Chinese Taipei, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. These delegations had also submitted a communication to allow Members to prepare for the discussion. Since the circulation of the revised agenda, the Republic of Korea has been added to the co-sponsors of this item and the corresponding submission. She invited the cosponsors to introduce the communication.
76. The representatives of Japan; the United States of America; Singapore; Australia; the European Union; Ecuador; the Republic of Korea; Switzerland; Canada; the United Kingdom; El Salvador; Chinese Taipei; Philippines; Brazil; Mexico; Peru; China; and India took the floor.
77. The Council took note of the statements made.
IP/C/M/96, IP/C/M/96/Add.1