(Yicai) Sept. 30 -- Shanghai’s Pudong New Area has appointed 24 intellectual property technical investigators as its first batch of such specialists to provide expert advice on IP disputes in the zone to reduce companies’ damages and build a better IP protection system.

The financial hub’s first IP technical investigators are all experts in key industries, including integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, biomedicine and aerospace, Yicai learned. They will issue professional opinions and offer technical assistance in the processing of IP lawsuits.

The number of IP technical investigators will be increased according to actual needs, He Ying, deputy director of the Pudong New Area Intellectual Property Office, said on Sept. 27 during the appointment ceremony.

Technical investigators will be invited to participate in IP lawsuits that involve patents, trademarks, copyrights and geographical indications of origin, Wang Jian, deputy director of the Pudong New Area's IP protection department, told Yicai.

Technical investigators can make up for government law enforcement personnel’s lack of specialist knowledge and make the handling of IP court cases more efficient and accurate. This will help build a better IP protection system, Wang said.

High-tech upgrades are rapid and the specialist technology involved is best understood by people who have been engaged in research and development as well as management for a long time, said Zhang Lihong, senior vice president of legal affairs and intellectual property at Shanghai MicroPort Scientific, who has been hired as one of the IP technical investigators.

Clarifying the technical facts in IP lawsuits can reduce the damage to the enterprises involved in the disputes, Zhang added.

Editor: Kim Taylor