China's enhanced innovation and intellectual property (IP) protection have led to a significant shift, with some domestic companies playing a dual role as both patent licensees and licensors, thus boosting the country's patent licensing market.

On Thursday, the 2024 LES China Annual Conference in Beijing brought together global industry leaders to discuss sustainable innovation through IP commercialization.

The event was hosted by Licensing Executives Society China (LES China), an organization dedicated to promoting the development of China's licensing trade, technology transfer, and IP protection systems and practices, thereby advancing technological progress.

Yuan Shaohui, president of LES China, said that the organization took concrete actions to train licensing professionals, enhance their IP commercializing capabilities and engage in international exchanges, with the aim of contributing to building a more open, balanced and accessible global IP ecosystem.

At the event, some guest speakers highlighted the importance of promoting IP commercialization, noting that licensing fosters business opportunities and sustains global innovation, while others stressed a growing global focus on collaboration of IP utilization.

The field of IP commercialization is complex and multidisciplinary. It involves multiple areas of expertise, such as technology, negotiation, law and international trade, depending on the specific circumstances and the nature of the IP being commercialized.

AI's integration into IP commercialization was a key topic during the event, with representatives from leading high-tech companies discussing AI's potential to improve patent services and its role in enhancing the efficiency and quality of patent search and valuation and raising IP licensing transparency.

Meanwhile, mediation, a useful tool in resolving disputes, was extensively discussed by panelists at the event. Mediation is considered one of the primary methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) because it is faster, less expensive and more confidential than litigation. ADR encompasses a variety of processes and techniques for resolving disputes outside of the traditional court system. 

During panel discussions, representatives from regulatory authorities, IP service agencies and law firms shared their insights and strategies for balancing the achievement of successful deals with the maintenance of cooperative business relationships.