Greenville event highlights intellectual property issues involving China

Listen to this article

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s China Intellectual Property (IP) Road Show is coming to Greenville, S.C.

The free one-day program on Dec. 15 will bring together experts from the U.S. government, academics, IP attorneys, and local business people to share insights on China and IP issues that will benefit U.S. IP rights holders, according to the event’s website.

To register for the event, click here.

The experts will shed light on how to protect and enforce IP rights in China and the United States.

Doug Kim, founder of the Kim, Lahey, and Killough Law Firm, helped organize the event. He's also the chair of the Innovation and Intellectual Property Committee for the South Carolina Bar.

"Most companies are impacted by the trade relations with China, from supply chain to exporting. While there are advantages, there are also risks, but these risks can be managed. While I understand that some businesses have concerns about ‘being ripped off’ there are ways to reduce this risk. As with every economy, there are the upstanding businesses and the unsavory, and the FBI has consistently warned us that China poses the largest threat in some areas.

“As for the bad actors, a cybersecurity firm in Boston found Chinese hackers took trillions in intellectual property from 30 multinational companies in the manufacturing, energy, and pharmaceutical sectors. For these illegal activities, anyone with intellectual property is a potential target.”

Topics to be covered include:

• What you need to know about protecting your patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyright in China (particularly small and medium-sized businesses)
• Where is China going on IP?
• Enforcing IP rights in the United States and in China
• U.S. government resources for U.S. companies
• IP in China: The Upstate South Carolina experience

“This event will give valuable insight as to how entrepreneurs to multinational companies can understand and protect what's rightfully theirs,” Kim said.