South China Morning Post Quotes Clete Willems on China and IP
Contact:
For its article “China’s evolution from ‘norm taker’ to ‘norm setter’,” South China Morning Post has quoted Akin Gump public law and policy partner Clete Willems on China and its position towards intellectual property.
Willems, who served in the Trump White House as Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economics, is quoted at a Harvard Law School forum in April, where he noted that China has been more forthcoming with improvements in traditional IP issues, despite deterioration in nontraditional areas such as online IP theft or state-supported acquisition of sensitive IP.
On the U.S. Trade Representative’s National Trade Estimate assessment of China’s progress on the phase one deal, he said, “I would call it a B minus. China had done draft regulations, it’s coming into effect, but still sort of work in progress.”
On the topic of foreign entities litigating IP cases in Chinese courts, Willems noted that proceedings could be complicated in those cases involving major state enterprises and industry champions, particularly in politically sensitive or technology-intensive sectors.