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 organised by the Benelux Chamber, FinnCham China, SwedCham, DCCC, NBA and 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

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

Event Details:

• Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026
• Time: 15:30 - 16:30
• Language: English
• Price : Free for Members; 150 RMB for Non-Members
• Online Meeting Link : An email will be sent with instructions to join online prior to the event.

Cancellation Policy:

If you cannot attend an event for which you have registered, please cancel your registration no later than 3 (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.