The BRICS countries agreed for the need to strengthen digital cooperation among member states and support for holders of intellectual property rights.

The 12th Meeting of the BRICS Heads of Intellectual Property Offices was held online on August 26. CNIPA Commissioner Shen Changyu attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Dr. Shen Changyu introduced the measures CNIPA has taken against the raging COVID-19 pandemic. He stated that as the pandemic brought huge challenges to global public health, economic development and innovation, it was of great significance that the intellectual property offices of the BRICS countries work together, highlighting their commitment to providing quality service for users. The timely and effective measures taken to guarantee stable services during the outbreak were swiftly acknowledged. While ensuring the orderly progress of projects under the “BRICS Intellectual Property Offices Cooperation Roadmap,” Dr. Shen said the intellectual property offices should bolster digital cooperation to cope with the current global challenges and provide more support for intellectual property rights (IPR) holders and the public.

Heads of the intellectual property offices discussed the progress of their projects and the next steps to be taken under the Roadmap. With a focus on reducing the impact of COVID-19 and discussing patent authorization for medicines during the outbreak, attendees also discussed the application of digital technologies of various offices and possible joint cooperation in the future.

The meeting was chaired by Mr. Grigory Ivliyev, Head of the Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent), and attended by Mr. Cláudio Vilar Furtado, President of the National Institute of Industrial Property of Brazil (INPI), Mr. Om Prakash Gupta, Controller General of the Office of the Controller-General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks of India, and Mr. Rory Voller, Commissioner of the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission of South Africa (CIPC), etc.

IPR cooperation among BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, was launched in 2012. Accomplishments since the launch include increasing awareness of IPR, joint personnel training and exchanges, and strengthening trademark and appearance design protections.