WIPO distance-learning program boosts access

The World Intellectual Property Organization announced on Oct 25 that it would launch Chinese-language intellectual property courses on the distance learning platform of the Chinese Intellectual Property Training Center, the latest cooperative project between the two organizations.

The plan was first proposed in 2015 with the aim of allowing more people to attain IP knowledge. The courses cover a variety of issues such as copyright, patents, trademarks, industrial designs, IP management and geographical indications.

Sherif Saadallah, head of the WIPO Academy said at the launching ceremony in Beijing that the offering of Chineselanguage courses will expand the depth and the width of cooperation between WIPO and CIPTC and maximize the capacity of the Chinese people with IP knowledge.

"The course offered in Chinese using the WIPO standards in CIPTC is a golden opportunity for the Chinese government, academia and all interested parties," Saadallah said in his speech.

He Zhimin, deputy commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office, spoke highly of the project.

"China recognizes the importance of IP as much as other countries do, and we realize the key to promoting and developing IP is to have experts equipped with adequate knowledge of IP," said He.

The distance learning platform of CIPTC was founded in 2002, through which 1.5 million people have so far received training courses in IP.

"This platform is of growing importance in IP training," He said. "Distance learning has become a useful tool to meet the demand since the awareness of IP is increasing in China."

He added that there are currently more than 200 different specialized courses with 500,000 registered trainees in the center.

From 2011 to 2015, China's IP authorities organized more than 22,000 training programs, involving 2.3 million trainees, 310,000 of whom utilized distance courses.

Ren Xiaojin contributed to this story.