Beijing Tengyu Law Firm
September 19, 2024 Beijing
On September 14, 2024, the World Geographical Indication Brand Distribution Service Conference (WGIC) was held at the Beijing National Convention Center. The WGIC was initiated by the World Trade Point Federation (WTPF) and is an important annual event in the world Geographical Indication industry, aiming to promote exchanges and cooperation on Geographical Indications among countries. Since 2012, it has been successfully held in Beijing and Geneva, Switzerland for many sessions. This is one of the theme forums of the China International Services Trade Fair and it has a far-reaching influence in the field of global geographical Indication industry. The Conference gathered many guests together, including global government officials, industry experts, corporate representatives and media reporters to discuss the distribution service of geographical Indication brands.
At the beginning of the Conference, Li Hengqing, the second-level inspector of the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, introduced the presented guests. Then Chen Cungen, the president of the China Federation of Social Workers and the former deputy secretary of the Central State Organs Working Committee, announced the opening of the Conference.
During the Conference, under the chairmanship of Li Hengqing, the second-level inspector of the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, Ma Peihua, the vice chairman of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Bruno Mache, the chairman of the World Trade Point Alliance, Mao Jinsheng, the first-level inspector of the Intellectual Property Protection Department of the State Intellectual Property Office, Alexandra Grazioli, the director of the Lisbon Registration Department of the World Intellectual Property Organization, and Li Weiwei, the secretary-general of the Global Service Trade Alliance, attended the meeting and delivered the wonderful speeches.
The keynote speech session of the Conference was hosted by Guo Wen, the director of the Intellectual Property Protection Department of the National Intellectual Property Administration. Zhou Liquan, the deputy director and second-level inspector of the Beijing Intellectual Property Office, delivered a speech on the topic of "Protecting and Cultivating Geographical Indication to Enable Industrial Innovation and Development". Jiang Guangdao, the agricultural counselor of the European Union Delegation in China, delivered a speech on the topic of "EU-China Geographical Indication Agreement - Current Status". Stefano Inama, the leader of the Geographical Indication Project of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, delivered a speech on the topic of "Geographical Indication Help Eradication of Poverty" and introduced the current development status and trends of the global Geographical Indications. Yao Kun, the former first-level inspector of the Trademark Office of the National Intellectual Property Administration, delivered a speech on the topic of "Extending the Industrial Chain of Geographical Indication and Promoting Regional Economic Development". Dai Zezhong, the chairman of the French National Wine and Spirits Committee, delivered a speech on the topic of "Geographical Indication Quality Labels in the French Wine and Spirits Industry".
During the opinion exchange session, the meeting was hosted by Ms. Pei Ling. Xiang Bangwei, member and secretary-general of Hunan Xiangxi Prefecture of the Standing Committee, Wu Xiaoqin, member of the Party Leadership Group and deputy director of Shanxi Provincial Market Supervision Administration (Intellectual Property Office), Chen Jinsong, secretary-general of the Guangdong Geographical Indication Association, Luo Jianchun, the president of the Shanxi Vinegar Industry Association, Gao Hui, the deputy secretary of the Laocheng District Committee of Luoyang City, Henan Province, Zhang Bin, member of the Party Leadership Group and deputy county mayor of Yingjisha County People's Government, Jiang Xiantao, the deputy mayor of Yingde Municipal People's Government of Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, and Xu Yingli, the representative of outstanding Geographical Indication enterprises, all of them presented the new development achievements of Geographical Indications in their cities and prefectures.
Ms. Liu Li, the chairman of the Management Committee of Beijing Tengyu Law Firm, and Mr. Wang Xin, the director of Beijing Tengyu Law Firm was invited to attend the Conference. Mr. Wang also delivered a speech and shared the related practical experience in judicial protection of Geographical Indications with the topic of "Practical Judicial Protection of Geographical Indications in China". He also shared the successful cases and experiences of Beijing Tengyu in judicial protection of Geographical Indications. He expressed that as a professional legal service organization, Beijing Tengyu is committed to provide a full range of legal services to Geographical Indication right holders, including legal consultation, brand protection, infringement litigation etc., and helping enterprises maximize their brand value.
The "The Evaluation Standards on Extending the Industrial Chain of Geographical Indications" was released at the meeting, which provided the scientific guidance and norms for the development of the Geographical Indication industry. The release of the Standards will further promote the healthy and orderly development of the Geographical Indication industry. At the same time, Shandong Geographical Indication Industry Association, Hanshou County Turtle Industry Association, and Yunnan Province Geographical Indication Industry Association etc. were selected as classic cases of Associations which has made outstanding contributions to extending the industrial chain.
The Conference held the Geographical Indication brand display activity. The high-quality geographical indication products from all over the world were displayed on the stage, such as olive oil from Italy, ham from Spain, red wine from France, Baojing tea from Hunan, China, and mature vinegar from Shanxi. The on-site exhibition hall attracted many visitors to stop and watch. Various products not only demonstrated the unique charm of Geographical indication brands, but also provided valuable opportunities for cooperation and exchanges between the enterprises. The success of the 2024 CIFTIS World Geographical Indication Brand Distribution Service Conference not only promoted the exchanges and cooperation for the global Geographical Indication industry, but also provided valuable experience for the judicial protection of Chinese Geographical Indications. We believe that under the promotion of the Conference and the joint efforts of all the parties, the protection and development of Geographical Indications will be continuously strengthened. It will also promote more high-quality Geographical Indication products to go to the world, and contribute to the development of global economic trade.
