On September 6-7, 2021, the 12th meeting of the Russia-China Working Group on Cooperation in Protection of Intellectual Property Rights was held via videoconference.

The Russian delegation included representatives of the federal executive authorities, including the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, the Federal Customs Service, and the Trade Representation of the Russian Federation in the People’s Republic of China. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the Intellectual Property Rights Court and business community.

The co-chairs noted that despite the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy on a whole, trade and economic relations between the countries continue to develop steadily while trade turnover is growing, reflecting the high level of bilateral cooperation. The Parties attach great importance to intellectual property issues as it is an integral part of trade and investment promotion. The dialogue between the countries also facilitates the strengthening of their positions on international fora, including WIPO and BRICS.

During the meeting the parties exchanged information on the latest developments in national legislation in the IP field, as well as the activities of customs and judicial authorities. The parties agreed to continue their cooperation on these issues intersessionally.

A separate set of issues was devoted to the discussion of challenges encountered by the Russian and Chinese companies in protecting and enforcing their IP rights in China and Russia. The Parties discussed specific cases of rights infringement related to inventions and trademarks and possible ways to enforce the companies’ rights, and reached an agreement to make a summary of the existing challenges for further monitoring and solving.

The parties agreed to continue the work on drafting the guidelines on the protection and enforcement of trademarks for Russian and Chinese companies, as well as on the intergovernmental agreement on the legal protection of geographical indications and appellations of origin.

The outcomes of the Working Group meeting will be reflected in the final document of the 24th meeting of the Russian-Chinese Sub-Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, which is scheduled for September 28, 2021.