International Trade Lawmaking @ Beijing Normal University

2019 Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF 2019) was held in Vladivostok, Russia, from 16 to 19 July 2019. The overarching theme for the event was ‘Enabling a Safe, Secure and Universal Internet for All in Asia Pacific’, with the sub-themes being: Safe Internet, Cyber-security & Regulation; Access & Universality; Emerging Technologies & Society; Evolving Role of Internet Governance & Multi-stakeholder Participation; and Digital Economy.

Prof. Xue gave a keynote speech at the Capacity Building Day on July 16 and talked about “Consumer Protection in E-commerce”, which as hailed by all the young fellows and other participants as very inspiring and forward-looking. Prof. Xue answered many questions and comments regarding data protection, consumer rights and other Internet legal issues. 

Prof. Xue was invited to be an expert panelist at the Workshop “A roadmap for studying ICT laws and building a database for Asia” organized by Association for Progressive Communications (APC) on July 18 and talked about the importance of building a people-centered and right-based legal framework for cyberspace. The session addresses the sub-theme on Safer Internet, Cyber-security and Regulation Online. It aims to encourage discussion on the growing number of policies, regulations and laws in Asian countries that seek to monitor and regulate the internet and the impact of these legislation on information and privacy among others. Of key importance is also our intended discussion on how we can build alliances with civil society, academia, journalists, the technical community and lawyers in order to create a multidisciplinary approach to challenge these laws where necessary, through creating awareness, bridging gaps in our understanding of these laws, not just among the various actors but also among a wider audience, and providing support to strategic litigation in different countries, with the ultimate aim of pushing for a regulatory framework that enables a more open, safe and secure internet.

Prof. Xue also actively took part in the discussion for the Synthesis Document

, which aims to document items of common interest relevant to Internet governance in the Asia Pacific region and has developed into one of the highlight innovations of the APrIGF and inspired other national and regional initiatives to develop their own processes.

The World Trade Organization invited Prof. Xue to give two keynote speeches at the 16th Colloquium for Teachers of Intellectual Property in Geneva.  The two-week colloquium for teachers of intellectual property (IP), jointly organized by the WTO and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), opened in Geneva on 17 June 2019. The event aims at helping teachers from developing countries and economies in transition to become more aware of the Geneva institutions, negotiations and other activities concerning intellectual property law and policy and to strengthen their countries’ independent research, policy analysis and teaching. Xiaozhun Yi and Mario Matus, Deputy Directors-General at the WTO and WIPO, opened the two-week course at WIPO headquarters. They highlighted the importance of this event, which brings together 29 IP scholars and teachers with a strong background in IP and responds to the growing demand for enhanced awareness of IP issues.

The programme included a wide range of IP policy and legal issues, such as IP and public health, IP and e-commerce, IP and biotechnology, IP and artificial intelligence, and IP and blockchain. More than 40 experts from WIPO, the WTO, partner intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and various fields of industry addressed participants to keep them up to date with the key issues and challenges confronting IP law and policy. Prof. Xue presented on “IPR Issues in the Digital Economy” and “Copyright Issues in E-commerce” on June 17 and 18 respectively. The keynotes were warmly welcomed by all participants. Prof. Xue responded to all the questions with great enthusiasm.

Participants were provided with an update on the activities and instruments of WIPO and the WTO, focusing on policy issues under negotiation or discussion in the two organizations, and placing these issues in their wider legal and policy contexts. The colloquium strengthened the capacity of universities to develop national expertise in IP, thereby building their capacity to provide policy support for current negotiations or discussions in WIPO and the WTO.

Prof. Xue was also invited the WTO Intellectual Property Department to provide a presentation at the “IP & TRADE POLICY TODAY” SEMINAR SERIES on June 20 in the WTO Room A. The Seminar series are s a series of informal conversations about the interaction between intellectual property and international trade in today’s global economy. Prof. Xue’s topic is “Intermediary Liability in the Platform Economy: A Key Issue for Intellectual Property Law Regimes”. Prof. Xue addressed that the operators of platform economy provide tens of millions of parties with virtual business premises and with deal-making, information dissemination and other related services, and enable them to independently engage in transactions. The operator plays a vital role in intellectual property protection. Online intermediary liability is the concept of holding online platform operators responsible for illegal or harmful acts of Internet users. An appropriate liability regime for platform operators should recognize the importance of keeping a balanced approach between IP right holders and business operators. The platform operator should be incentivized to cooperate with IP right holders to deter the unauthorized storage and transmission of IP-protected materials. Meanwhile, IP right holders should be granted effective enforcement procedures against infringement. While legal remedies are available for right holders to address such infringement, platform operators should be eligible for appropriate safe harbors in respect of online services which they do not control or initiate and that take place through the system or network controlled or operated by them or on their behalf.

The Seminar was held during the WTO E-commerce Negotiation period and attracted the official delegates from more than fifty countries from Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa to take part. The Head of IPD and other officials gave very high remarks to the insightful and innovative presentation, which was followed with the interesting and fruitful interactions with the delegates and IPD officials.

IP TRADE POLICY TODAY – Prof. Dr. Hong XUE