As European companies expand in China and collaborate with Chinese partners, the rapid adoption of AI tools is not only creating new opportunities but also risks, especially around trade secrets, data boundaries, and the ownership of AI-related outputs. Many EU companies are familiar with the EU AI Act, but when AI projects touch ground in China, these seemingly abstract legal compliance measures translate to real challenges on the ground. At the core of it stands the question of asset control: what can enter the AI systems, what must stay ring-fenced, who owns improvements, and what evidence is needed if disputes arise later.

This practical session is a Nordic Chamber joint event co-organised by the Swedcham China, FinnCham China, DCCC and NBA. The China IP SME Helpdesk avoids theoretical comparisons and focuses instead on tangible control mechanisms demonstrating how EU SMEs can reduce the 'invisible funnel' of trade secret leakage, strengthen their AI-IP governance, and structure clearer ownership boundaries in EU–China collaboration and outsourcing scenarios.

The seminar will conclude with a Q&A session allowing attendees to discuss IP matters with the speaker.

Key topics covered:

1. The Collision of Rules: A practical look at how EU transparency and documentation duties differ from China's AI governance framework, particularly on service-provider obligations, content controls, and data/security boundaries.

2. The 'Invisible Funnel': Why the biggest risk is often not the headline IP infringement, but the quiet leakage of algorithms, client data, and process know-how when employees or vendors use public AI tools without governance.

3. Building an 'AI-IP Control Plane': Practical steps to upgrade NDAs, create internal toolchain white-lists, and build minimum viable evidence chains to support copyright protection, patent strategy, and trade secret control in China.

4. The Deep Water – EU-China AI Co-Development: How to structure IP ownership, data boundaries, and improvement rights in cross-border joint R&D, where EU transparency/documentation duties and China-side data and security boundaries must both be managed.

5. Takeaway messages

Q&A

Introduction of China IP SME Helpdesk

The China IP SME Helpdesk supports European Union (EU) Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to both protect and enforce their Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in or relating to Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan through the provision of free information and services. These take the form of jargon-free, first-line, confidential advice on intellectual property and related issues, plus training, materials and online resources. China IP SME Helpdesk organises IP training seminars and workshops all over China and Europe. It also provides online webinars on various IP-related topics and organizes one-on-one consultation sessions to help SMEs better understand IP, and how it relates to their products and to doing business in / with China.

The China IP SME Helpdesk project is funded by the European Union and builds on the achievements of a pilot project carried out in 2008-10. As of February 2025, Phase VIII commenced expanding China IP SME Helpdesk's services to the SMEs from countries participating in the Single Market Programme (SMP).

Date:

9 April, 2026（Thursday)

Time:

15:30- 16:30 (Beijing Time)

Speaker:

Steve Shi, founder of SLLS Global and China IP SME Helpdesk external expert

Language:

English

Venue:

Online

Price:

Member: free of charge

Non-Member: 150 RMB

Cancellation Policy

If you cannot attend an event for which you have registered, please cancel your registration no later than three business day prior to the event. If you fail to notify us of your cancellation in a timely fashion, you will be charged for the event costs.

Fapiao (VAT Invoice)

Apply fapiao when purchasing a ticket, by inputting the Chinese entity name and tax ID (if the title is wrong, you will be unable to receive the Fapaio). Make sure your IT has whitelisted the domain "XX@hlzrkj.xyz​. E-Fapiao will be sent to your e-mail within 7 days after completed event (check spam folder). If the fapiao can not be received, please provide an alternative email or contact finance@swedcham.cn