Whoever said learning about intellectual property rights in China couldn’t be fun? Well, even if they did they won’t anymore: The China IPR SME Helpdesk is set to release it’s IPR Serious Game – the most, ahem, entertaining IPR tool yet to be added to its arsenal.
So what’s it all about then…?
Picture this: you’re a European entrepreneur coming to China to start a business. Where do you begin?
Surely most importantly you have to decide what you’re going to make and sell? So you’d better decide what sort of goods they’ll be and think of a name for your product – a brand to build up a good reputation with. Once you’ve got your brand and product idea then you’re ready to go!
But hang on, how are you going to get this made and out to the shops? Well, you’ve got to get yourself some local partners. Maybe you could find a few via intermediaries, ie. trade delegation services, or even on the internet? Great idea! – before you know it you’ve found a manufacturer and got yourself a distributor, and shortly after the goods are on the shelves and you’ve got your first sales. On top of that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to add a kick to it via some trade fairs. Why not?
The products are starting to fly off the shelves, so hell, now you’re making some money in China why not open up a local office to streamline operations? What’s more, now you have a popular product go ahead and build on that success with some new innovations to beat the competition: throw in some R&D!
Who ever thought it could be this easy? But where to go from here? The answer: diversify. Branch out into other industries – new product lines.
Before you know it you’ve got a range of market-leading products under your belt and you’re the beneficiary of some fat profit margins!
Of course what’s missing from the above are all the mandatory steps you’ll need to take to protect your trade marks, copyrights, patents, trade secrets, and so on.
Hang on, did I say mandatory? I meant recommended. Or possibly optional. Or even unnecessary?!? (not the view of the Helpdesk – ed.). To be honest it’s up to you in the end. We can give you the relevant advice but whether you choose to take it or leave it, play safe or take some serious risks is all in your hands as you play through this business scenario. You might get lucky or you might end up with a brand so infringed it’s better to cut your losses and get out of the game altogether…
Basically, we realised that most of the IPR issues businesses face could be bundled together into a linear scenario that would make finding out about them a more relevant and logical process, for anyone who does, or wants to do business in China. Thus the Serious Game was born.
The Serious Game will be officially launched on May 22nd at the Four Seasons Hotel, Liangmaqiao, Beijing. Any European small- or medium-sized enterprises or intermediaries are welcome to join for free, just RSVP us at rsvp-china@china-iprhelpdesk.eu for more information visit the Helpdesk website. As well as a chance to play the game, there will be refreshments and the chance for networking.