Guarding the Light of Science and Technology: Science and Technology Law Conference and World Intellectual Property Day Hosted at China Hall of Science and Technology, and the Declaration on Legal Services for Science and Technology in the New Era Released

2023-04-27

In order to implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's instructions on the driver role of technological innovation, and actively contribute to high-level technological self-reliance and self-improvement with legal services, on April 26, 2023, the Science and Technology Law Conference and World Intellectual Property Day was held at the China Hall of Science and Technology.

The conference was jointly organized by the China Legal Exchange Center, China Legal Aid Foundation, Beijing Law Society, Belt & Road Service Connections, and Legal Service for Science and Technology Center under the BRI Legal and Commercial Service Innovation Platform, and DeHeng Law Office, as the implementor of legal services for academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, was a co-undertaker. At the conference the Declaration on Legal Services for Science and Technology in the New Era was issued. The three topics for discussion were "Technology Frontiers," "Hot Issues of Legal Services for Science and Technology" and "Challenges Facing Legal Services for Intellectual Property Rights."

Zhang Mingqi, member of the Party Leadership Group, Vice President and Secretary General of the China Law Society, Zhang Yanzhen, former Vice Minister of Justice and President of the China Legal Aid Foundation, and Guo Xusheng, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Beijing Law Society, each delivered a speech. Academicians Yang Zhenning, Ding Guoyu, Yin Hongfu, Zheng Houzhi, and Chen Zuyu of the CAS, and academicians Yao Junen, Lu Youmei, Gu Desheng, Wang Liheng, Wu Hequan, Xie Kechang, Yao Fuqiang, Deng Xiuxin, and Zhang Laibin of the CAE, each sent a congratulatory letter and video congratulations. Academicians Wu Hanming and Huang Qingxue of the CAE, and academicians Peng Lianmao and Feng Dengguo of the CAS attended the conference and sent congratulations in person. Academician Zhu Ninghua of the CAS participated in the meeting online. Other attendees included Deng Maicun, former Secretary General and Research Fellow of the CAS, Jiao Dong, Deputy Director of the Strategy Consulting Center of the CAE, Deng Pan, head of the Information Science Division of the CAS, and Xiao Shuai, member of the Administrative Council of the Center for Innovation and Development of the CAS.

▲Written congratulatory letters from academicians

▲Academician Wang Liheng's video congratulations

Academician Wang Liheng said in his speech that he has been long engaged in aerospace power and aerospace engineering management, and has known Director Wang Li for long. DeHeng has provided a series of legal services for the spin-off and listing of APSTAR and HK Aerospace Technology Group, protected the companies' lawful rights, and built a solid "firewall." He mentioned that DeHeng has lived up to its title as a national model primary-level Party organization, and provided legal services for academicians of the CAS and the CAE for 30 years, strongly supporting them in scientific and technological advancement, innovation and intellectual property rights protection, which is a remarkable pro bono act. Finally, he said that DeHeng lawyers are like his family, always ready to help for issues big or small. He was deeply touched and grateful.

▲Academician Wu Hanming speaking

▲Academician Huang Qingxue speaking

▲Zhang Mingqi speaking

Zhang Mingqi pointed out in his speech that scientific and technological progress would not be possible without the rule of law, and guiding, standardizing, promoting and guaranteeing innovation with rule of law is a distinctive feature of promoting scientific and technological progress and innovative in the new era. As the highest-level legal research society in the country, the China Law Society shoulders important tasks, and should adhere to the guidance of the Party's latest theories, improve the legal system for science, technology and innovation, strengthen forward-looking research and legal practice, and contribute more to the realization of the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.

▲Zhang Yanzhen speaking

Zhang Yanzhen said that the whole country is studying Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism, and this conference is of great significance in this context. As a practitioner of pro bono legal services, DeHeng cherishes a forward-looking and strategic vision about legal services for science and technology, continues to serve the most fundamental national interests, and participates in science and technology engineering projects with legal services, while actively engaged in various volunteering activities for environmental protection, poverty alleviation, and education to give back to society, thus providing impetus and guarantee for innovation and development.

▲Guo Xusheng speaking

Guo Xusheng fully affirmed DeHeng's exploration in the science and technology law theory and practice over the past 30 years. He pointed out that administrative regulations and local regulations on science and technology have become an organic part of the legal system governing science, technology and innovation, and promoting legislation in the field of S&T has become a key factor in promoting economic and social reform and development. This conference answers to the need of the new situation and new tasks of promoting rule of law in China, and its outcomes will surely strongly boost high-quality economic development and rule of law in the country.

▲Wang Li making a keynote speech entitled "Report on the Development of Legal Services for Science and Technology in the Past Thirty Years"

Wang Li, Director of China Legal Aid Foundation, Party Secretary, Director and Chief Global Partner of DeHeng Law Offices, and President of Belt & Road Service Connections, made the "Thirty Years of Development Report on Science and Technology Legal Services."

In her report, Wang noted that at the National Science Conference on March 18, 1978, Comrade Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of reform and opening up, put forward the famous thesis that "science and technology are productive forces." Since we entered the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that "accelerating to build China's strength in science and technology and achieving greater strength and self-reliance in science and technology" and made specific arrangements. The development of science and technology requires strong legal support and services. DeHeng regards legal services for science and technology as a test field for reform and opening up and major task of "the main battlefield of economic construction," and promotes the marriage of science and technology and law.

Wang added that since its establishment in 1993, DeHeng has been providing legal service for science and technology in cooperation with the CAS and the CAE, and the three have jointly implemented the legal service project for academicians for more than 20 years. DeHeng lawyers have provided strong legal support for scientific research institutions and scientists and technology specialists in innovation, major projects, technology commercialization, intellectual property rights, technology security, financing, listing and rights protection of tech enterprises, etc., serving more than 3,000 domestic and foreign technology enterprises and scientific research institutions, more than 5,000 science and technology projects, in addition to specialized IPR legal services for more than 1,000 enterprises engaged in technological innovation, showing the value of legal services in the field of science and technology.

Wang said that the pro bono service for academicians is all about the everyday legal issues that academicians might encounter, and there is not hype or publicity about what we did. Since the implementation of the academician service project, DeHeng lawyers have provided pro bono legal services for academicians and their families and staff in more than 20 provincial regions across the country, solved their urgent legal problems, and won high praises from the clients.

Director Wang Li said that in the process of building China into a modern, powerful country, DeHeng will earnestly implement Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and Xi's instructions on the work of lawyers, serve national development, and integrate global resources via the Legal Services for Science and Technology Center and other platforms to serve the S&T industry. It will support the upgrading of the legal service for academician projects, and help young, middle-aged and senior science and technology law practitioners aim higher and transform scientific and technological achievements into productive forces. It will provide legal support to empower enterprises to pursue development and innovation in science and technology, solve the technological bottlenecks, and realize the value of innovation. It will provide legal support for science and technology to stimulate high-quality economic and social development, and new vitality of "marriage between science & technology and law" in the new era.

▲The launch ceremony of the Declaration on Legal Services for Science and Technology in the New Era

At the conference the Declaration on Legal Services for Science and Technology in the New Era was issued. It reflects General Secretary Xi Jinping's deployment on enlarging the driver role of science, technology and innovation, implements the national strategy for scientific and technological progress, and puts forward five goals and tasks for legal support and service for it: improve legal services for science and technology and meeting the needs of the times; provide high-quality legal services for technological innovations, R&D to break technological bottlenecks, core IPR protection, and the commercialization of technological achievements; give full play to the advantageous resources of legal services for science and technology, set up express channels for academicians of the CAS and the CAE and the vast number of scientists and tech workers, and prioritize the solving of legal problems concerning technology frontiers and the urgent legal problems encountered by academicians; learn from and advocate the spirit of scientists, publicize and implement the concept of rule of law in governing the country; further cross-sector cooperation between science & technology and law, and jointly promote rule of law in technological innovation in the new era.

At the conference, Li Yangtian and Xiao Xiujun were awarded the title "Model Lawyers for Pro Bono Legal Services for Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering"; Wang Li, Li Guifang and Xiao Qi the "Lifetime Achievement Award in Legal Services for Science and Technology"; and 103 science and technology law practitioners the "Contribution Award in Legal Services for Science and Technology."

▲Wang Li conferring to Xiao Xiujun the honorary title "Model Lawyers for Pro Bono Legal Services for Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering"

▲Zhang Yanzhen, Academicians Feng Dengguo and Peng Lianmao conferring the "Lifetime Achievement Award in Legal Services for Science and Technology" to Wang Li, Li Guifang and Xiao Qi

The forum invited 20-plus scientists, tech workers and law practitioners to exchange ideas on the three topics: "Technology Frontiers," "Hot Issues of Legal Services for Science and Technology" and "Challenges Facing Legal Services for Intellectual Property Rights." Among them was Deng Maicun, former Secretary-General of the CAS; Guo Xusheng, Academician of the CAE; Gu Xin of the State Intellectual Property Office; Zhang Peng of the Institute of Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Jin Kesheng of the China Intellectual Property Law Association, China Law Society; Wang Jinqiao and Sun Yi, Institute of Computing Technology, CAS; Hao Xiaoguang, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, CAS; Wu Dayong, iFLYTEK; Xiao Xinguang of ANTIY; Sun Yu of Peking University Third Hospital; Tian Guihua of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine; Wang Guoyu of Beijing Institute of Technology; Wang Jianna of Yizhuang Intelligent City Research Institute; Qu Kangkang of CR Digital; Wang Yinan and Yang Hao of BRI Legal and Commercial Service Innovation Platform; Zhang Tao, expert of the E-commerce Law drafting group of the National People's Congress; Huang Min and Yan Zinan, China Science and Technology Law Society; Zuo Yujie of the Organoid and Organ Chip Branch of Guangdong Precision Medicine Application Association; Liu Zhipeng, China Seed Association legal service group; Liu Jiao of Guozhi Zhongyi IP Service (Beijing) Co.; and Li Wei of DeHeng Lvzhi IP Company. Focusing on cutting-edge technologies such as large language model, big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, biomedical, precision measurement, autonomous driving, space exploration, blockchain, etc., and on key issues of science and technology law such as cross-border data flow governance, intellectual property protection, commercialization of technological achievements, patent infringement, and data property rights protection, the forum participants shared major theoretical and practical achievements, and raised demand for legal services for the integrated development of science & technology and law from different perspectives, and discussed solutions.

▲Group photo of the attendees

More than 200 experts and scholars from the CAS, CAE, research institutes and the Institute of Computing Technology under the CAS, State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, State Intellectual Property Office, AVIC Group, Beijing Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Beijing Law Society, Luohu District Bureau of Justice of Shenzhen, other relevant government departments, well-known tech enterprises, legal service providers and other heavyweight guests and journalists attended the meeting.

During the conference, a closed-door symposium for young science and technology law practitioners was also held The participants shared their thoughts on the risk of copyright infringement of AI-generated content, the impact of AI on the field of biochemical research, blockchain data circulation and sharing, etc., and put forward suggestions and opinions on intellectual property rights protection and value assessment, data export flow and protection, and legal guidelines for the commercialization of technological achievements.