On December 4, the 14th Conference of Heads of Offices between CNIPA and the European Patent Office (EPO) was held online, attended by CNIPA Commissioner Shen Changyu and EPO President António Campinos.

During the virtual meeting, the two heads reviewed their cooperation over the past year, briefed each other on the latest progress in their respective IP work, and exchanged ideas on future bilateral cooperation, especially the PCT-ISA pilot, AI, bilateral cooperation under the framework of IP5, as well as other IP-related issues of common concern.

Commissioner Shen remarked that since the outbreak of COVID-19, CNIPA has taken a series of measures to protect the vital interests of applicants and right holders. Currently, China’s IP cause is witnessing steady development, and the number of applications for invention patents and trademarks continues to rise, he said. The challenges posed by COVID-19 have ensured CNIPA and EPO maintain close cooperation. The two issued a joint statement on their pandemic response and launched the PCT-ISA pilot project. The cooperation outcomes benefit more and more IP users of both regions and play an important role in bolstering innovation and development, he added.

President Campinos said that EPO has seen an increasing number of patent applications and granted patents by Chinese applicants this year. He emphasized that EPO will continue to deepen its comprehensive strategic partnership with CNIPA and hoped for more achievements in their bilateral relationship.

At the end of the meeting, the two sides signed their annual work plan for 2021 as well as an extension of their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on data exchange, and an extension of their agreement on the use of the EPO's professional patent search tool EPOQUE Net.