On January 13, 2020, Mr. Cao Xinghai, Director of the China Representative Office of the Singapore Intellectual Property Office, visited Jijia. Partner Gao Shaowei and Zhou Xinyan received and attended the meeting with Mr. Cao Xinghai.
At the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on the status of patent applications by Chinese companies in Southeast Asia, and patent applications and searches in Singapore and ASEAN countries. Mr. Cao Xinghai introduced that Singapore IPO, as a competent PCT authority office, plays an important role in PCT patent examination. At the same time, Singapore has 9 patent search databases, which has great advantages in patent search. Moreover, as a member of the "ASEAN Patent Examination Cooperation Project" (ASPEC), Singapore's search results can be shared with other ASEAN member countries. Singapore can serve as a hotspot for Chinese applicants' patent distribution in ASEAN.
The two sides also exchanged some strategies on international trademark protection during the talks. Through this meeting, the two sides will explore the future direction and carry out more meaningful cooperation.