Small and medium enterprises can build up their business image and profits by employing copyright concepts, such as applying new patented technologies or using brand names, Director of Intellectual Property Stephen Selby says.

At a seminar held in Zhangjiang today, Mr Selby said the city, in the Mainland's far south, was a well-known industrial base in 80s.

"Now the area mainly focuses on agriculture, fisheries and the processing industry. By employing intellectual property concepts in these businesses, such as applying new patented technologies in growing plants or using brand names in promoting their products, these SMEs can effectively build up the image of their businesses and at the same time, create profit for them."

The seminar, run by the Intellectual Property Department, Trade Development Council, Guangdong Provincial Intellectual Property Office and Zhangjiang Municipal Government, aims at strengthening support for Hong Kong-based SMEs in the southwest of Guangdong and promote intellectual property protection.

It showed how intellectual property can be used as a tool for wealth creation. Professional services relating to intellectual property that are available through Hong Kong were also featured.

"We hope participants will better understand the need to use and protect their patents, designs and trademarks. This seminar is in line with the national IP strategy of the 11th 5-year Plan. In addition, this should be a good opportunity to investigate what role Hong Kong may be able to play in developing a creative economy, for example, developing new plant varieties in rural and agricultural areas, in line with the latest Central Government policies," he said.

More details of the seminar are available here.