On 20 Oct. 2014, Tongji Global IP Forum was held in Zonghe Building of Tongji University. Prof. Lv Guoqiang, director of Shanghai IP Administration; Prof. Reto M. Hilty, director of Max Plank Institute; Prof. Dr. Kung-Chung Liu, Visiting Professor of Singapore Management University; Dr. Sung-Mei Hsiung, Judge at IP Court in Taiwan; and more than 30 IP experts from Germany, Italy, Singapore and Taiwan, China gathered together to discuss the IP Issue under the topic of ‘IP Factor in Technological and Business Innovation’ and ‘Establishment of IP Court in China’.

Dr. Jiang Bo, Vice President of Tongji University, attended the forum and delivered the opening speech for the forum. He extended warm welcome to experts from academic and practical sectors, and introduced Tongji University and Tongji Law School/Tongji Intellectual Property Institute. Prof. Reto M. Hilty, director of Max Plank Institute, Germany, delivered a welcome address and a keynote speech. In his keynote speech titled ‘IP factor in technological and business innovation- East and West of the Globe’, he introduced the theories to justify IP protection of relevance to technological and business innovation. He added that the lack of protection and excessive protection of IP could hinder innovation.

Prof. Dr. Kung-Chung Liu, Visiting Professor of Singapore Management University, also delivered a welcome address and keynote speech. In his speech of ‘IPR and Innovation across the Taiwan Strait: Policy-Induced Rent-Seeking v. Market-driven’, he pointed out major problems in the development of Chinese IPR industries of mainland China and Taiwan, and said that domestic market and R&D are plagued by overflow of low quality IPR and lack of core competiveness.

In the afternoon session of ‘Establishment of IP Court in China’, Prof. Lv Guoqiang, Director of Shanghai IP Administration, China, combined roles of IP in innovation with the aim of IP court establishment, and introduced IP system of Shanghai and IP protection in Shanghai Free Trade Zone. He also explained the plan of Shanghai IP protection in the future. Judges from IP Division of Shanghai High People’s Court and from IP Court in Taiwan, China, presented their views about advantages, challenge and influence of IP court establishment.

‘2014 Tongji Global IP Forum’ was jointly organized by Tongji Law School/Tongji IP Institute, Max Plank Institute for Intellectual Property and Competition Law, Singapore Management University and Shanghai IP Research Council of Shanghai Law Society.