CPA Deputy General Manager Speaks at GI Legislation Symposium Hosted by China Intellectual Property Society

On 25 July 2025, the China Intellectual Property Society (CIPS) held a symposium on legislation of geographical indication along with general assembly of CIPS's Geographical Indication Committee (GIC) in Nanning, capital of Guangxi province in southern China. CIPS executive vice president Mr. Gan Shaoning, Guangxi Minzu University vice president Mr. Gao Xingyu, and Administration for Market Regulation (Intellectual Property Administration) of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region deputy director Mr. Li Xuan attended the event and delivered speeches.

The symposium, hosted by the CIPS and co-organised by the GIC and Guangxi Minzu University, gathered 60 participants including officials from the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), members of the GIC, and representatives from local IP offices, universities, enterprises, and industry associations. Among the participants was Mr. Hu Gang, deputy general manager of our firm China Patent Agent (H.K.) Ltd. (CPA). Mr. Hu, also director of CIPS and member of GIC, was one of the speakers at the symposium.

Chaired by CIPS secretary-general Mr. Xie Xiaoyong, the symposium gathered experts to delve into the theme of GI legislation with a focus on the current status, practical dilemma, and development path of GI legislation in China from the perspectives of legal system development, optimisation of system integration, and enhancement of regulatory efficacy. The discussions, referencing domestic practices as well as international norms, covered issues such as conflicts between GI product protection and trademark protection, examination of eligibility for GI protection, and coordination of subject matters under different means of protection.

In his speech, our deputy general manager Mr. Hu emphasised three principles of addressing potential conflicts of rights between geographical indications and trademarks, namely, "first in time, first in rights", "good faith exception", and "preventing confusion". As for the feasibility of preliminary examination for GI, another topic Mr. Hu touched on, he noted that preliminary GI examination can help curb conflicts in the early stage and thus make GI prosecution more efficient. Mr. Hu further suggested strengthening the examination of relative grounds for trademarks, establishing a cross-departmental information platform, optimising opposition and invalidation procedures, and implementing pre-screening for specific categories of products.