Joint Statement from the G7 Heads of IP Office Conversation

The Intellectual Property Offices operating in the Group of Seven (G7) countries participated in the Intellectual Property Heads of Office Conversation 2022 on December 9, 2022. As a result of the conversation, the G7 Heads issued a Joint Statement.  The full statement may be found here.

In the Joint Statement, the G7 Heads state that they recognize that an effective international IP system is necessary to incentivize innovation and creativity worldwide.  To develop the system, the G7 heads especially focused on “establishing a positive culture of IP” and “fighting counterfeiting and policy.”

As to “establishing a positive culture of IP,” the G7 heads will promote further international cooperation, exchange best practices on a global level, support technology transfer on voluntary and mutually agreed terms, collaborate on raising public awareness of the positive impacts of IP, and support WIPO efforts on fostering a better understanding of the benefits of IP.

As to “fighting counterfeiting and policy,” the G7 heads encourage all public and private stakeholders involved in the fight against IP infringement, including consumers and intermediaries, to join forces to ensure that counterfeiters do not take advantage of new technological developments and the complexity of law enforcement mechanisms in cross-border trade that make prosecution more difficult.

The Joint Statement discusses the big picture of the Intellectual Property field.  As private practitioners, we may work diligently and look for opportunities to collaborate with other practitioners and clients to incentivize innovation and creativity and establish a positive IP culture.