Victory Group @AIPPI World Congress Hangzhou 2024

Introduction

The 2024 International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property World Congress meeting was held in Hangzhou City from October 19-23.  It was the first time in its 127-year history that the AIPPI World Congress was hosted in China. The team from Macao Victory, Amy Wong, Leo Liu, Sunny Chandra and Win Liang represented the firm at the Congress.

Themed "balanced protection and innovative development of IP rights," the 2024 AIPPI World Congress opened in the city of Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang Province  and was co-organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the AIPPI.  

This was not only  a significant event for the city of  Hangzhou but for all of China and presented a unique opportunity for China to share with the world its growing influence, impact  and achievements in the realm of intellectual property.

AIPPI HISTORY

Founded in 1897, AIPPI is a non-profit international organization dedicated to the development and advancement of intellectual property rights worldwide. Each year, the AIPPI Congress brings together IP experts and representatives from around the globe to discuss key issues and challenges in the field. The theme of this year's congress was "Balanced Protection of IP and Innovation Development," which focused on how to protect intellectual property while fostering innovation and economic growth.

In hosting the AIPPI, it offered China a platform to engage with the global IP community, showcasing its contributions and the ongoing evolution of its intellectual property systems.

Hangzhou City

Hangzhou, the host city, has garnered significant attention for its achievements in the intellectual property space. In recent years, Hangzhou has fostered internationally competitive IP companies and brands, establishing a robust system for IP protection and services. The city’s successful hosting of the AIPPI Congress further underscored its role as a leading center for IP innovation.

Hangzhou as a thriving city is a mixture of natural beauty and history, with famous beauty spots such as West Lake. And it is a city with a long history, having been the capital of the ancient South Song Dynasty (1127–1279), which ruled the country during one of its cultural epochs.

An old saying in Chinese captures the essence  of the glory of Hangzhou, which goes along the lines that ‘high above the sky there is paradise, but here on the earth there is Suzhou and Hangzhou’.

It  is  also well documented  that Marco Polo, the first Westerner to visit Hangzhou in the late 13th century some 30 years after the city fell to the Mongol hordes of Kublai Khan.

As expected, Hangzhou captivated participants with its cultural and scenic allure during the AIPPI world congress. The special cultural events organised by the organising committee put on full display to the world the picturesque beauty of the West Lake , right through to the city’s vibrant tech and entrepreneurial scene, seamlessly blending  tradition with modernity, leaving a lasting impression on its visitors both new and old.

Macao Victory Client Meetings - Booth D07

The Victory team met with Lawyers and agents from around the world.   It was a special opportunity in such an important conference to be able to reconnect with many colleagues from around the world.  For some it was their first time in China, and for others it was their first time since the pandemic to visit China again.  The face to face meetings led to more fruitful and intimate  discussions on updates and development for co-operation.

In addition to a very special opening and closing ceremony , the congress featured a wide range of events,  a welcome reception, national and regional president meetings, plenary sessions, thematic forums, an Executive Committee meeting, IP bureau directors’ luncheon, live court hearings on patent infringement cases, and a cultural night. The discussion topics spanned all key areas of intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and industrial designs.

Attendees also had the unique opportunity to observe live court hearings on patent infringement cases at the Hangzhou Intermediate People's Court, providing unique insight into China’s judicial protection system.

The Young AIPPI Forum brought together the new generation of IP attorneys from around the world was also held, hosted by Ms David of DCC ( Advanz).

While the special Women in AIPPI session held on  October 20 took place at the China National Silk Museum, which is both the largest in the world as well as UNESCO heritage site.

Cultural Night Highlights

Enduring Memories of Hangzhou’ was performed on the splendid  West Lake in which brings Chinese poetry, opera, music, dance, tai chi, tea ceremony and other traditional Chinese cultures to the audience.

The second show was the debut of ‘Elegance of Xianghu’,  which was a large-scale digital show at the Xianghu Lake.

Guests both local and international marvelled at how spectacular both performances were, and the insight it gave into the richness and beauty of Hangzhou City.

Visit to the Iconic HZ temple by the Victory team

In addition to the cultural night and experiences at the AIPPI congress, the Victory team together with Mr David Stanners , Patent  attorney and Director of Ernest & Stalwart visiting from the UK also took the opportunity to experience the Lingyin Temple. 

It is an iconic and the  most recognized Zen Buddhist temple in Hangzhou being built in 326AD with a  history of at least 1,700 years.   It was built by an Indian monk Huli (慧理和尚) naming it  Lingyin which literally translated as soul’s retreat. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589), it was expanded , subsequently developed and prospering  during the Five Dynasties (907-960 . The population of monks grew rapidly to about 3,000. The then Emperor Kangxi visited  Lingyin Temple as he travelled incognito to Jiangnan in 1689.  After seeing  the dense forest and puffy clouds,  he then named Lingyin Temple as “Yunlin Chan Temple” (云林禅寺). However,  since people got accustomed to calling it Lingyin Temple, its original name  has been retained even until today.  Further it has been honored as one of the most important temples in the JianGan Region for its Buddhist importance in Song Dynasty. also ranked as a national Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.