Across China

Expo IPR show

A World Exposition intellectual property rights protection exhibition was unveiled in downtown Shanghai, showcasing the efforts of the Chinese government and Expo organizers to protect Expo emblems.

The exhibition, which coincide with the fifth anniversary of the enactment of the regulation for Expo emblem intellectual property rights protection, took place this month at the Expo Exhibition Center in Shanghai.

According to the regulation, no one can use the World Expo emblems for any commercial purposes without the authorization of the rights holders.

Huang Jianzhi, deputy director-general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, said the exhibition helped increase public awareness about the importance of Expo IPR protections.

Training courses on Expo emblem protection were held last month by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, according to Xu Feng, deputy director of the Shanghai Administration for Industry and Commerce.

The Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination has registered 61 Expo emblems at the state administration since the regulation became effective.

The bureau has received 279 applications to use Expo emblems and approved 249.

The bureau also has uncovered 175 IPR violations of Expo emblem copyrights.

Trademark work plan

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) issued its Work Plan for Trademarks (2008-2012), which include guiding thoughts, basic principles, goals and measures for trademark work during the period.

Trademarks play an important role in modern economic and social development. Since the reform and opening-up of China, the country's work on trademark protections and laws has developed rapidly.

The country has established a trademark law system with Chinese characteristics in line with international rules. China has since become the world's leading country in trademark applications.

IPR and foreign firms

The 2009 Symposium on IPR in National Foreign Capital Institutions, organized by the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), recently was held in Chongqing.

The symposium highlighted China's efforts to protect intellectual property rights of foreign companies.

In the past, some foreign companies were unwilling to introduce advanced technologies to China for fear of infringement of their intellectual property.

"They were concerned about the IPR protection environment in China," said Zhang Wei'an, chairman of the Quality Brands Protection Committee (QBPC).

In recent years, IPR protections have been strengthened, symposium participants said.

"The Chinese government has made prominent achievements in IPR protection and anti-piracy," said Gordon Hwang, chairman of management committee in China for Tyco Electronics.

Beijing conference

The National Defense IPR Strategy Implementation Mobilization Conference recently was held in Beijing to improve the quality and quantity of national defense intellectual property protections.

The State Council in June 2008 issued the National IPR Strategy Outline and then designated the People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Armament Department to organize the implementation work for national defense IP rights.

The General Armament Department established a National Defense IPR Strategy Implementing Leadership Group and instituted a National Defense IPR Strategy Implementation Plan in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology and State Intellectual Property Office.

The plan established goals to implement the national defense IPR strategy in 2015 and 2020. A work plan to guide implementation of those goals was expected to be complete in 2011 or 2012.

Taobao clear fake

Taobao.com will spend 100 million yuan its fight against counterfeit products to make e-commerce safer, according to a report by National Business Daily.

The capital will be allocated in two purposes. One is to make compensations to customers. The other is to build a professional counterfeiting team, made up of 100 people.

As of now, Taobao.com has cleared nearly 2 million fake brand products and closed almost 10 thousand online stores involved in selling fake products.

The e-commerce platform Taobao.com appealed to its 145 million users to participate in the effort.

Informed sources said it is paving the way for its planned initial public offering in early 2010.

Editor's note: The IPR Special is sponsored by the State Intellectual Property Office and published by China Business Weekly. To contact the Intellectual Property Office, the IPR Special hotlines are 8610-64995422 or 8610-64995826, and the e-mail address is ipr@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 12/14/2009 page9)