Nasdaq: Annual BIP Asia Forum Opens Up a World of Opportunity

Annual BIP Asia Forum Opens Up a World of Opportunity
December 04, 2014

Hong Kong, Dec 4, 2014 - (ACN Newswire) - Asia's premier annual event for the intellectual property (IP) sector opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The Business of IP Asia (BIP Asia) Forum, co-organised by the Hong Kong SAR Government, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Hong Kong Design Centre, features an exhibition as well as plenary and 25 breakout sessions over two days (4-5 Dec).

Speaking at today's Opening Ceremony, HKTDC Executive Director Margaret Fong said the transition to a knowledge-based global economy was placing more focus on the business of intellectual property in Asia.

"Today, we have some 2,000 IP professionals taking part in BIP Asia 2014. That's nearly triple the number of people who joined the inaugural forum in 2011," Ms Fong said. "The prestige of BIP Asia is also boosted by the presence of some of the world's largest IP owners, users and service providers. At our expanded exhibition zone this year, you will find some of the world's technology giants, as well as technology research centres, universities and IP services suppliers."

Also speaking at the opening ceremony, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR, CY Leung, said the government had taken on the role as a co-organiser of the event for the second year in a row.

"We are doing so because we are passionate about intellectual property, about the critical role IP plays in enabling international trade, investment and innovation," Mr Leung said. "Indeed, these largely define today's Hong Kong. Reimagined and reinforced by IP, they will surely shape tomorrow's Hong Kong."

This fourth edition of BIP Asia adopts the theme of "Intellectual Property: Powering Business Expansion". World Intellectual Property Organization Deputy Director General Wang Binying, State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China Deputy Director Zhao Zhibin and World Trade Organization Intellectual Property Division Director Antony Taubman also officiated at the opening ceremony.


Thought Leaders

Some 80 prominent speakers are taking part in this year's forum. The opening Plenary Session entitled "IP Business Potential Behind Innovations" featured Dr. Joo Sup Kim, Vice President, Intellectual Property Centre, LG Electronics; Toshimoto Mitomo, Executive Vice President, Intellectual Property Department, Sony Corporation of America; and Brian Hinman, Chief Intellectual Property Officer, Royal Philips. Among the speakers at the second plenary session under the theme "Global Patent Strategies for Emerging Technologies" were Kwang Jun Kim, Senior Vice President and Chief IP Officer, IP Team, Samsung Display; Maria Lam, Chief of Staff to the General Counsel, Intel Corporation; and Christian Frey, Head of Innovation & Patent Coordination, Siemens. The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government, Gregory So, was the Keynote Luncheon speaker.


Breakout Sessions

This afternoon's breakout sessions targeted specific IP topics including legal services, fashion design and wearable technology. Tomorrow's breakout sessions will focus on areas such as film copyright trading, dispute resolution and Traditional Chinese Medicine. This year, new topics including IP valuation, auditing and arbitration have been included in the programme to provide a host of practical IP information and tips to participants.


Exhibition Zone

The exhibition zone of BIP Asia has been expanded this year to facilitate networking activities and information-sharing among IP practitioners. Close to 50 exhibitors are showcasing their services including technology giants Sony and Royal Philips, as well as local and foreign technology research centres, universities and IP services suppliers. World Intellectual Property Organization will also demonstrate their online services and provide the latest updates on WIPO services.


Asia IP Exchange

Launched last year, the Asia IP Exchange lists more than 25,000 tradable IP items and offers free IP information to IP owners, users and services providers. On the eve of the BIP Asia Forum, memoranda of strategic cooperation were signed with new partners from Beijing, Hong Kong, New Zealand and the Philippines to strengthen information exchange and cooperation in IP. Being the Asia's largest international online IP trading platform, Asia IP Exchange has over 10,000 registered members and has reached cooperation agreements with 28 local and overseas institutions.


Week of IP

To maximise the impact of BIP Asia, the HKTDC has joined forces with a number of organisations to host an "Innovation and Intellectual Property Week" through 1-6 December. It includes three major parallel events at the HKCEC, namely, the BIP Asia Forum, the HKTDC World SME Expo (4-6 Dec) and the HKTDC Inno Design Tech Expo (4-6 Dec) with a combined total of more than 700 exhibitors and over 23,000 visitors.

http://www.nasdaq.com/article/annual-bip-asia-forum-opens-up-a-world-of-opportunity-20141204-00134