III. The China IPR SME Helpdesk and its support services

The China IPR SME Helpdesk provides first-line advice on IP issues in China both for EU SMEs and intermediaries, such as chamber of commerce, business support organisations etc.

We will provide you with an answer to your enquiry within three business days; the Helpdesk suggests you contact us in any of the following situations:

• You find that clarification of information is necessary in order for you to answer a related enquiry correctly
• A question is too specific or specialised that you can’t find the answer for it, in our resources. Our in-house IP lawyer as well as our access to more than 100 lawyers in different practice areas, will ensure that you receive a professional answer.
• The company would rather discuss its IP matter directly with a non-commercial project, such as the Helpdesk.

• The enquiry service of the China IPR SME Helpdesk is free of charge for European SMEs and intermediaries.
• The advice is first-line to equip users with basic information regarding IP protection, management and enforcement in China. The services are not of legal nature or advisory nature and no responsibility is accepted for the results of any actions made on basis of its services.
• Before taking specific actions in relation to IP protection or enforcement, all customers are advised to seek independent advice.  
• Watch the following videos to learn more about services and partnerships:

How to work with the China IPR SME Helpdesk:

http://www.china-iprhelpdesk.eu/content/helpdesk-case-study-how-work-china-ipr-sme-helpdesk

The China IPR SME Helpdesk – Your Partner in China

http://www.china-iprhelpdesk.eu/content/china-ipr-sme-helpdesk-%E2%80%93-your-partner-china

You can contact us via the following channels:

• Enquiry Web-form:

http://www.china-iprhelpdesk.eu/content/ask-question

• E-mail:

[email protected]

• Telephone:

00 86 (10) 8527-5708 (During Chinese business hours, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6 pm (GMT+7).

• Office visit:

Room 319, Beijing Lufthansa Centre Office Buildings, Beijing – China (Please call or e-mail to schedule an appointment)

• Live Chat:

www.ipr-hub.eu

Online office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3pm to 6pm (CST) – 9am to 12pm (CEST/CET)

The China IPR SME Helpdesk offers on-site training events as one of its free of charge services. These events can be organised in any Member State of the European Union as well as in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. In order to maximize the local participation and impact of such training events, the project is collaborating with its partner across the EU and China, such as embassies, consulates, local chambers of commerce, Enterprise European Network (EEN) partners and other business support organisations.

The summary below contains key considerations for organising a joint event. Don’t hesitate to contact the following Helpdesk staff for details and event confirmations:

Events in Europe:

Ms. Bridie Collins, Event coordinator

[email protected]

Events in China:

Ms. Kinga Katus, Project Manager

[email protected]

• Main target audience of the event is European SMEs;
• Speaker and related costs as well as training materials are provided free of charge by the Helpdesk;
• Training presentations shall be minimum one hour (half an hour in case briefing in China or online) preferably a time slot is allocated for one-on-one consultations with the Helpdesk expert;
• Please contact the Helpdesk with an event request two months in advance of the preferred date. Confirmation later than two months are subject to availability of the project experts.  
• The China IPR SME Helpdesk is not in the position to provide direct financial resources for the organisation of such events.
• Contributions of the China IPR SME Helpdesk and the European Union shall be recognised during the event and in communication materials. 

• Format:

Seminar, workshop, conference, briefing, Train-The-Trainer, Serious Game session, case study presentation, one-on-one consultation. Other formats are subject to discussion.

• Topic:

General topics are the most popular (such as: How to Protect your Business and Innovation in China; Comprehensive overview of IPR protection in China; How to Maximise Profits through IPR protection etc.)

IP specific topics: Trade marks, Copyrights, Patents, Trade secrets

Horizontal issues: E-commerce, Trade fairs, Online IP etc.

Sector Specific:  Food and Beverage, Fashion, ICT, Automotive, Engineering etc.

 

• Language:

The default language of trainings is English. German, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Dutch, Portuguese is subject to availability of the experts.

 

• A typical agenda is:

15mins – Introduction and Helpdesk services

60mins – Main presentation

15min – Q&A

1-2hrs – Opportunity for one-on-one consultations (15mins per company)

General division of responsibilities between the China IPR SME Helpdesk and the partner

Partner	Helpdesk
Management of invitations	Printed training materials
Arrangement of venue	Customised programme based on partners’ needs or Helpdesk suggests one
On-site logistics	Communication with the expert speaker
Submission of following documentation: agenda or online invitation, list of participants, feedback forms	All costs related to the expert, such as travel, fee, accommodation etc.
Advertisement of the event on website; social media etc.	Advertisement of the event on website; social media etc.
Interpretation if deemed necessary by the partner

1. Training need identified by partner
2. Topic is requested by partner or suggested by the Helpdesk. In order to confirm an event, we need the following information: date, place, expected target audience, preferred topic, preferred language
3. Helpdesk reaches out to suitable speaker/expert and confirms with the event organizer
4. Event is advertised on Helpdesk website, newsletter and social media.
5. Partner arranges venue and sends out invitations
6. One week before the event; partner confirms the date, location, number of participants etc.
7. Helpdesk sends visibility and training materials by post
8. During the event, partners welcomes the expert, handles the on-site implementation, arrangement of visibility and training materials
9. After the event; partner sends participants list for reporting purposes as well as feedback forms

The Helpdesk publishes new or updated guides on a monthly basis that are available for download through the project website and advertise through our monthly Partner E-bulletin and Bi-Monthly Newsletter.

The current library of resources include the following types of items:

Factsheets:                           Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan

IP-type guides:                    Trade Mark, Copyrights, and Patents etc.

Horizontal issues:            Trade Fairs, Domain name protection, Contracts etc.

How to guide:                      How to conduct a trade mark search, How to collect effective evidence at trade fairs etc.

Sector-specific guides:  Food and beverage, fashion, creative industries, automotive etc.

• All our guides are available for download from the following sub-page:

         http://www.china-iprhelpdesk.eu/content/guides  

• Selected resources are also available in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish and Mandarin Chinese.

We welcome partner organisations who find it useful to have the guide translated to their own native language. To discuss cooperation opportunities in this regard, please contact the Helpdesk Project Manager. 

E-learning modules (ELMs) are an interactive and entertaining way of exploring different aspects of IPR protection, management and enforcement in China.  The Helpdesk's series of 20-minute, ELMs address various aspects of intellectual property and how they are relevant to an SME’s business.

ELMs can be used individually or in a group setting as part of a training event.

As of 2016, the following topics are available through the Helpdesk website:

• #1 – Trade Marks;
• #2 – Trade Fairs;
• #3 – Patents;
• #4 – Copyrights;
• #5 – Trade Secrets;
• #6 – Technology Transfer;
• #7 – Research and Development;
• #8 – Contracts;
• #9 – Managing IP as a Business Asset;
• #10 – Enforcement of IPR;
• #11 – Customs;
• #12 – Comparison between Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan;
• #13 – IPR for the Food and Beverage Sector.

Learning from the experiences of European SMEs who have already took action to protect, manage and enforce their intellectual property, Case Studies and FAQs are valuable training tools for intermediaries and SMEs alike. In order to facilitate this process, the China IPR SME Helpdesk published a number case studies of its users as well as compilation of questions that are frequently asked by European business. Browse the links below for learning more about IP in China or using them as references in your daily work.

• Case study catalogue:

http://www.china-iprhelpdesk.eu/content/case-studies

• Frequently Asked Questions:

http://www.china-iprhelpdesk.eu/content/faqs

• Handbook on 50 Frequently Asked Questions about IP in China:

http://www.china-iprhelpdesk.eu/sites/all/docs/FAQ_handbook.pdf

Understanding the need for up-to-date, quick information on IP, the Helpdesk is produces a number of information resources available online or delivers straight to an SME’s mailbox. Visiting these website or subscribing to the bulletins is free of charge and unlimited.

• Your IP Insider Blog

The joint blog of the China IPR SME Helpdesk and the South-East Asia IPR SME Helpdesk, providing weekly updates on IP in Asia from experts, SMEs, intermediaries and the project staff. If you are interest in publishing your relevant post on the blog, do not hesitate to contact us.  Click here to visit the blog. 

• Newsletter

The China IPR SME Helpdesk sends Newsletters every two month to its subscribers featuring upcoming training events, the latest resources and policy updates. Click here to subscribe. 

• Partner E-bulletin

The monthly Partner E-bulletin is specifically designed for the intermediaries with whom the China IPR SME Helpdesk works with. It features the newest resources and opportunities for cooperation. The content of the Partner E-bulletin can be circulated among interest SMEs and published on partner websites. Click here to subscribe.