The China Team of the USPTO’s Office of Policy and International Affairs consists of attorneys and staff in Alexandria, Virginia, and IP attachés on the ground in China who are located in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai. Each team member brings extensive knowledge of and experience with China's intellectual property (IP) system. Along with IP attachés, the USPTO presence in China also includes five local attorneys who specialize in Chinese IP law.
In order to advance one of the principal strategic goals of the USPTO—to improve IP rights protection and enforcement domestically and abroad—the China Team works to establish strong relationships with China’s IP agencies. As U.S. companies seek to do more business in China, it is increasingly important that the USPTO effectively collaborate with the relevant national and sub-national authorities in China to improve the IP environment and address the significant challenges faced by U.S. companies.
The China team also supports U.S. efforts in improving IP collaboration among the world’s five largest IP offices, which includes China, through such fora as the IP5 (for patents), the ID5 (for industrial designs), and the TM5 (for trademarks).
The USPTO China Team collaborates closely with its U.S. government colleagues on a variety of China matters. These include the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, the Department of State, and other federal agencies. The China Team also works closely with U.S. rights holders, academics, and foreign government officials to gather IP data and other information to effectively inform policy priorities.
Lastly, the China team conducts ongoing outreach to U.S. rights holders, through such programs as its China IP Road Shows and webinars, which bring the team’s expertise to rights holders throughout the United States.