Huazhong University of

Science and Technology

Lecturer: Prof. Zheng Youde

Dr. Li Weiwei

Law School of Huazhong University of Science & Technology

Tongji University, Dec. 4, 2013

Greenwashing Risks of Intellectual Property Right and Legal Regulation

Table of Contents

Green Growth & Greening IPR2

Legal Regulations of Greenwashing IPR4

Introduction31

Greenwash & Greenwashing IPR33

Introduction

green growth traditional economic growth

ecological civilization industrial civilization

  energy saving & emission reductionenergy saving & emission reduction energy waste & pollution

sustainable developmentglobal environmental deterioration

Green Growth & Greening IPR

Product

green patent

green copyright

green trademark

Green Innovation

EcologyEnvironment

EcologyEnvironment

GreenGrowth

Need

green marketing

green consume

green design

GreenIPR

Connotation of Greenwash  green [environmentally friendly] + (white)

wash [conceal flaws] —the act of misleading consumers regarding the

environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.  

(http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/)• also called greenwashing

—The deceptive use of green PR or green marketing in order to promote a misleading perception that a company’s policies or products are environmentally friendly (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwash)

green-washing patent

Greenwashing IPR

Green-washing

IPR

environmental barriers of practical exploitation

challenges for traditional copyright law

false claims and advertisments

abusement of “green” marks

green-washing

copyright

green-washing

trademark

green-wash

marketing

Hazard & Problemof Greenwashing IPR

seven sinsseven sins negative impactnegative impact

unfair

fraud

waste

barrier

Sin of the Hidden Trade-off

Sin of No Proof

Sin of Vagueness

Sin of Worshiping False Labels

Sin of Irrelevance

Sin of Lesser of Two Evils

Sin of Fibbing

Legal Regulations of Greenwashing IPR

solutiosolutionsns

Green Standard

Policy DirectionPolicy Direction

Green Channel

Legal LiabilityLegal Liability

Green Evaluation Standard and Green Marketing Guides

Environmental friendly and energy saving Green IPR System

Strict examing standards and normative examing procedures of green patent, green works and green trademark

Green CIR & Green ConsumeReal Environmental awareness and Green

Concept of enterprises, consumers and society

Legal punishments of greenwashing IPR and marketing with powerful administrative and judicial enforcement

Green Standard

National legislation

Green Evaluation Standard and Green Marketing Guide

-General Terms like “green” ，“ environmental” or “eco-friendly” etc.

-Certifications/Seals of Approval

-Professional Explanation of terms as the examination guides

-Need to change-Introduction of "environmental factors" considered -Principles of the sustainable development, the public order and morals, the balance of personal interests and the public interest-Protection of the environmental or climate-friendly technology, low-carbon technology, product marks, works

Policy DirectionPolicy Direction

Principles

Purposes-to encourage green technology innovation, green

literature and art innovation and green business innovation,-to promote the creation, utilization, protection and management of the Green Intellectual Property Right

Green Channel

consideration of the environmental or ecological elements

feasibility of environmental works

scientific certification and regulative use of green tradmarks

Priority and high-way of green patent examination and green trademark

green

patent gree

n

works green

tradem

ark green

channel

Legal LiabilityLegal Liability

legalpunishments

legalpunishments

administrative enforcement

administrative enforcement

judicial enforcement

judicial enforcement

specific liabilities and punishments regulated in different laws

 revocation of greenwashing patent or trademark;Investigation of greenwash marketing

the value orientation of the judicial lawsuit ;class action

Green CIR & Green Consume

目标 功能 内容

Green CIR;Self-Regulation;sustainable development

目标 功能 内容

Green NGOs;Social supervision;Professional consultancy

Green awareness;Professional Knowledge;Legal weapon

enterprise consumer society

—From greenwash to great innovation, works and brands —Construct the changing Green Intellectual Property Right system which is the institutional safeguard of the resource-conserving and environment-friendly society in

current China.