On March 25th, the first Overseas Investment and Comprehensive Service Exhibition and Trade Fair was grandly opened in the Shanghai Oriental Hub International Business Cooperation Zone. The exhibition was hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Investment, with the theme of “Deepening Overseas Comprehensive Services, Promoting Investment Mutual Benefit and Win win”. It planned to create one high-level opening ceremony, one special symposium, and 100 precise special docking activities, with a supporting 5200 square meter special exhibition display area, fully covering the full chain service needs of overseas investment, and building an efficient docking platform for Chinese and foreign enterprises.

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As the core link of the 100 themed docking activities of this exhibition and trade fair, the parallel forum of the first Overseas Investment and Comprehensive Services Exhibition and Trade Fair (OIF 2026) – the “Smart Power Escort · Stable Going Global” themed sharing session was successfully held simultaneously. This event is hosted by the Global Chamber of Commerce Federation and supported by the Shanghai International Technology Import and Export Promotion Center. It brings together over a hundred guests, including representatives from global chambers of commerce, senior experts from 13 well-known intellectual property service agencies, and heads of overseas enterprises, to discuss core issues such as global layout of intellectual property, risk warning, and rights protection during the process of enterprises going global.

Tang Huadong, a partner at Beijing Zhide Law Firm and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, was invited as a core guest to attend the event. With his profound technical background and over ten years of legal service experience, he conducted in-depth sharing on the full chain management of intellectual property rights for overseas enterprises, and contributed professional strength to building a strong defense line for Chinese enterprises’ overseas intellectual property rights.

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01 Background of the event: Under the wave of globalization, there is an urgent need for intellectual power among overseas enterprises

Currently, the pace of Chinese enterprises’ “going global” is accelerating, and the number of overseas enterprises in fields such as biomedicine and high-end manufacturing continues to rise. However, the intensification of international market competition and increasingly strict intellectual property rules have made overseas intellectual property disputes a core obstacle to the globalization development of enterprises. Many enterprises have encountered business setbacks overseas due to a lack of systematic layout and risk control capabilities.

In this context, the first Overseas Investment and Comprehensive Services Exhibition and Conference (OIF 2026) was held in Shanghai from March 25th to 28th, 2026. The “Smart Power Escort · Stable Going Global” themed sharing session served as a core parallel forum, focusing on intellectual property as the “core asset” of enterprises going global, helping enterprises clarify international rules and solve layout misunderstandings.

Chang Le, President of the Global Chamber of Commerce Federation, pointed out that intellectual property is not only a “talisman” for enterprises to go global, but also a “core weapon” for participating in global market competition. Without a sound intellectual property layout, cross-border development of enterprises will face many unknown risks and even hinder long-term development. He emphasized that intellectual property, as a core asset of enterprises, is a key support for preventing overseas business risks, seizing international markets, and achieving sustainable development. Building a full process intellectual property protection system is crucial for enterprises to steadily expand overseas.

Hong Yongqing, the founding director of the Shanghai Representative Office of the Association for the Promotion of South South Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former deputy director of the Shanghai Intellectual Property Bureau, stated that the successful holding of this special docking meeting will effectively solve the pain points and bottlenecks in the field of intellectual property for overseas enterprises, effectively enhance their awareness and practical ability in intellectual property protection, and establish a long-term docking mechanism between enterprises and professional service institutions. The representative of the organizer also pointed out that intellectual property is a “strategic moat” for enterprises to go global. Only by laying out in advance and precise prevention and control can they take the initiative in international competition.

 

As a senior expert in the fields of biomedicine and intellectual property, Lawyer Tang Huadong was invited to give a keynote speech at this forum. His sharing content closely focused on the pain points of the entire process of enterprises going global, combining theoretical depth and practical value, and received high attention from the attending guests.

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02Core Sharing: Strategic Logic and Practical Path of Global Intellectual Property Layout

During the keynote speech, Lawyer Tang Huadong focused on the global layout of intellectual property rights for overseas enterprises: from strategic planning to risk prevention and control. He systematically dismantled the strategic significance of intellectual property rights in the process of enterprise globalization, clarified common misconceptions in the industry, and proposed practical solutions based on rich case studies.

➤ (1) Strategic positioning: Intellectual property is the core competitive chip for enterprises to go global

Lawyer Tang Huadong emphasized at the beginning that the global intellectual property layout is not simply about “applying for patents and registering trademarks”, but a strategic behavior that serves the core business goals of enterprises. He pointed out that the essence of enterprises going global is the global flow of markets, technology, and capital, and intellectual property is the key link connecting the three. Its core value is reflected in four dimensions:

Market entry guarantee: Through the intellectual property layout of the target market, legal barriers to product launch are cleared to avoid product failure due to infringement risks;

Technical defense barriers: building an intellectual property protection network for one’s own technology, preventing competitors from imitating core technologies, and maintaining market exclusivity;

Commercial transaction premium: High quality intellectual property assets can significantly enhance a company’s valuation, forming core bargaining power in transactions such as mergers and acquisitions, financing, and authorized cooperation;

The foundation of dispute resolution and rights protection: A sound intellectual property layout and evidence chain are the core support for responding to overseas infringement lawsuits and safeguarding one’s own rights and interests.

Many companies have fallen into the misconception of ‘quantity first’, blindly applying for a large number of patents in various countries around the world, but neglecting the pertinence and practicality of their layout, ultimately leading to resource waste and a lack of protection for core technologies. Lawyer Tang Huadong warned in his sharing that intellectual property layout must be deeply tied to the commercialization path of the enterprise, focusing on core products, target markets, and competitive patterns, in order to truly transform into a competitive advantage for the enterprise.

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(II) Cognitive Correction: Eliminating Common Misconceptions in Overseas Intellectual Property Applications

2.1 “Global coverage ≠ Effective protection”

Many companies believe that comprehensive protection can be achieved by repeatedly applying for trademarks and patents in all countries, but this is not the case. There are significant differences in intellectual property rules, market demands, and competitive environments among different countries. Blind full coverage not only results in high cost waste, but may also lead to the invalidation of rights due to non-compliance with local examination standards. The correct path is to develop a layered strategy that prioritizes key countries and supplements peripheral countries, taking into account the target market, technology iteration cycle, and competitor layout of the enterprise’s products.

2.2 “Domestic rights cannot be automatically extended overseas”

Intellectual property rights have strict territoriality, and patents and trademark rights obtained domestically cannot automatically take effect overseas. Enterprises must submit separate applications in the target country through international treaties such as the Paris Convention and PCT. Some companies have overlooked this rule, resulting in their core technologies being registered overseas and missing out on market opportunities.

2.3 “Patent Layout ≠ Technical Protection”

Many companies equate patent layout with pure technological protection, but overlook its value in government collaboration and commercial transactions. Lawyer Tang Huadong pointed out through case studies that a sound patent layout can not only help companies obtain policy support and participate in standard setting overseas, but also enhance asset value in mergers and acquisitions, authorizations, and other transactions, becoming an important chassis for the global development of enterprises.

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(III) Practical Guide: Building a Full Cycle Intellectual Property Layout and Risk Prevention and Control System

At the practical level, Lawyer Tang Huadong proposed a systematic solution from four dimensions: patent layout, risk assessment, phased management, and dispute resolution

3.1 Patent layout: Evidence preparation and free implementation of FTO are the core

Lawyer Tang Huadong emphasized that the core of patent layout lies not only in “obtaining rights”, but also in “being able to land and protect rights”. On the one hand, the preparation of evidence throughout the entire process is the foundation of patent protection: from technology research and development records and experimental data to application documents and examination opinions, enterprises need to establish a sound evidence management system to ensure that core evidence can be quickly fixed in case of infringement disputes, providing support for successful rights protection. On the other hand, FTO (Free Implementation) review is a prerequisite for product commercialization: even if a company completes overseas patent layout, it does not mean that it has the freedom to implement the technology. If it falls within the scope of patent protection of others, it may still face infringement risks.

Regarding the FTO review, Lawyer Tang Huadong proposed a “four step” practical framework: firstly, identify the target, clarify the technical solutions and application scenarios of the core products; The second is to focus on the patent literature and legal rules of the target market by targeting the country; The third is risk classification, which divides risks into three levels: high, medium, and low, and clarifies the priority of response; The fourth is to output decisions, providing specific suggestions such as “continuing to advance, technology avoidance, authorization negotiation, and abandoning the market” based on the risk level, to help enterprises answer the core questions of “whether they can enter the market, how to enter the market, whether they should avoid obstacles, and whether they need to negotiate with rights holders”.

3.2 Risk Assessment: Establish a graded prevention and early warning mechanism

Lawyer Tang Huadong pointed out that effective risk assessment is not about “identifying all risks”, but rather about graded management of risks to achieve optimal resource allocation. He introduced the commonly used FV risk assessment model in the industry, emphasizing that companies need to focus on six high-risk signals in the target market: the increase in patent concentration in core technology areas, dynamic changes in competitor patent layouts, adjustments in target countries’ intellectual property policies, market actions of potential infringers, regulatory trends of customs and law enforcement agencies, and frequent disputes in the industry.

Based on this, enterprises need to establish an MTU early warning mechanism to achieve “early detection and early disposal” of risks: by continuously monitoring the above signals, potential risks can be identified in a timely manner, and response plans can be formulated in advance to avoid being passive after disputes occur. At the same time, Lawyer Tang Huadong emphasized that risk prevention and control need to distinguish between “pre defense” and “post protection”: pre defense focuses on resolving infringement risks from the source before market entry, through FTO review, patent layout, compliance design and other means; Post litigation rights protection refers to minimizing losses and ensuring the continuity of business operations through methods such as evidence fixation, legal analysis, and compliance resolution after disputes arise.

3.3 Summary and Suggestions: Three Core Points to Assist Enterprises in Steadily Going Global

Based on the growth laws of enterprises, Lawyer Tang Huadong summarized three core suggestions for overseas enterprises:

(1) Make a good asset layout and build strategic chips: focus on the core products and business goals of the enterprise, accurately plan global intellectual property assets, form a three-dimensional protection system of “core patents+peripheral defense+trademark brands+trade secrets”, and transform intellectual property into the core chips of global competition for the enterprise;

(2) Do a good job in FTO clearance to ensure product landing: make FTO review a necessary step before product launch, avoid infringement risks through professional investigation, clarify market entry paths, and avoid product delisting and market exit due to legal disputes;

(3) Effectively handling disputes and building a solid business safety cushion: Establish an evidence management system and dispute response plan in advance, integrate various rights protection tools such as platforms, customs, and litigation, respond quickly in case of disputes, minimize losses, and ensure the continuous operation safety of the enterprise.

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After the keynote speech, Lawyer Tang Huadong engaged in in-depth interactive communication with the attending guests, providing detailed answers to overseas intellectual property protection, patent layout, cross-border rights protection and other issues of concern to enterprises in the fields of biomedicine, high-end manufacturing, etc., combined with specific cases. His professional insights and practical solutions were widely praised by the attending guests.

Representatives from the Global Chamber of Commerce Federation and the Shanghai International Technology Import and Export Promotion Center highly praised the shared content, believing that it closely addresses the pain points of enterprises going global, and has both theoretical and practical guidance significance. They also expressed their willingness to deepen cooperation with Zhide in the future. At the event, Lawyer Tang Huadong also reached preliminary cooperation intentions with several overseas enterprises, providing them with customized global intellectual property layout and risk prevention and control solutions.

03  Activity Summary

The successful holding of the “Intellectual Property Escort and Stable Going Global” special sharing session has provided a professional platform for overseas enterprises to communicate and cooperate, and also demonstrated the professional advantages of Zhide Law Firm in the fields of intellectual property and cross-border legal services. As a comprehensive law firm specializing in biopharmaceuticals, high-end manufacturing, chip semiconductors, and other fields, Zhide Law Firm has always been committed to providing full chain and one-stop legal services for enterprises, accumulating rich practical experience in global intellectual property layout, FTO review, cross-border dispute resolution, and other aspects.

Lawyer Tang Huadong stated that this event is an important step for Zhide to assist Chinese enterprises in going global. In the future, Zhide will continue to leverage its professional advantages, deeply participate in the construction of the global investment and service ecosystem, and provide more accurate and efficient intellectual property services around the full lifecycle needs of enterprises going global. At the same time, Zhide will actively participate in various industry exchange activities, share professional insights, convey industry experience, and work together with global partners to safeguard the global development of Chinese enterprises and promote Chinese innovation to the world.

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