East China's Shanghai will host the 20th Shanghai International Intellectual Property Forum in December – focusing on the legal protection and innovation-driven development of the digital economy.

The forum is themed on "Strengthening Legal Protection for Intellectual Property, Fueling Innovation-driven Development of the Digital Economy".

It is being jointly organized by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Shanghai municipal government. The event is being co-hosted by the Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration and the Xuhui district government.

The forum will feature six keynote speeches and three roundtable discussions on topics such as new explorations of IP systems in the digital economy, the digital economy boosting the development of leading industries and IP protection and utilization for small and medium-sized enterprises in the digital economy.

The speakers will include leaders of international and regional organizations, experts from foreign IP authorities and research institutes – as well as representatives from Chinese government departments, enterprises, universities, research institutions and service institutions.

Daren Tang, director general of WIPO, will deliver an opening speech at the forum.