China-EU IP Forum was held on May 9^th, 2015 in Suzhou Campus of Renmin University of China. The Forum was co-hosted by Renmin University of China and IP Key. Suzhou Campus of Renmin University of China, Renmin University School of Law, Renmin University Academy of Intellectual Property, Intellectual Property Bureau of Suzhou Industrial Zone and SSIP co-organized the Forum. More than 200 experts, scholars and practitioners participated in the Forum, including those from State Development and Reform Commission, the State Intellectual Property Office, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Supreme People’s Court, Beijing Intellectual Property Court, Shanghai Intellectual Property Court, Guangzhou Intellectual Property Court, the Jiangsu Higher People’s Court, Jiangsu Intellectual Property Bureau, Suzhou Intellectual Property Bureau, the Renmin University of China, East China University of Political Science and Law, European Patent Office, European Internal Market Coordination Bureau, European Delegation to China, German Federal Patent Court, German Max-Plank Institute of Innovation and Competition Law, Queen Mary College of London University, Philips Corporation of the Netherlands, Hogan Lovells Law Firm, etc.

    The theme of this forum is "Legal Protection for Technological and Cultural Innovation: China and EU’s Experience". A number of experts from China and EU were invited to the IP roundtable held on May 9^th. They had a heated discussion on the problems of how to cope with the IP issues faced by both sides, especially on the topic of how scholars can help to facilitate the communication and cooperation between China and EU in the area of IP. On May 10^th, participants shared opinions and ideas on the following three topics: “Innovative Culture and IP,” “Practice of IP-related Competition Law,” and “The Development of IP Courts.” Experts first talked about the definition of “innovative culture” and its significance for the society, the connection between innovative culture and IP, and how to improve the IP system in order to foster a vigorous innovative culture. And then experts from China and EU shared information on IP-related competition legislation, cases and policies, in response to the recent trend that new and complicated cases had been challenging the legal systems both in China and EU. Further, specialized courts in IP had been established in China. Meanwhile, EU was going to establish its Patent Court. Thus, the operation of specialized IP courts had become a hot topic both in China and abroad. In the last part of the Forum, organizers invited judges from the three IP courts in China and experts from EU to discuss issues and problems in the construction of specialized IP courts. The topics of the Forum was well-selected, and all the participants were specialists from different IP-related sectors. Therefore, the Forum was a successful and fruitful one.

    Today, with the further development of globalization and the emergence of new technologies, human society is becoming more and more interdependent and integrated. In this process, IP plays an important role. It has become a focus of contradictions, and a bridge of communication. Academic exchange events organized by NGOs and sponsored by IP organizations from home and abroad are important platforms for IP dialogue to increase the mutual understanding and trust. China-EU IP Forum is another international forum on IP held by Suzhou Campus of Renmin University of China, following the East Asia IP Forum and the Asia-Pacific IP Forum. Renmin University of China, one of the hosts, is a leading organization in IP teaching and research and a pioneer on international academic exchange and communication. The other hosts, IP Key, is a project financially supported by the European Union, aiming to promote a more effective, fair and transparent intellectual property framework in China based on best practices. The forum was co-hosted by the above two organizations and invited representatives and distinguished experts from China and the EU to join. It has achieved its goals in promoting legal exchanges and academic consensus on IP issues between China and the EU.