China praised for intellectual property protection

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-16 12:18

Violation of intellectual property rights has been a sore spot in China's relations with its trading partners. US industry groups for movies, music, software and books estimate they lost a combined $3.5 billion in China because of piracy last year, three times more than in 2001.

The European Union Chamber of Commerce says that infringement of intellectual property rights remains among the biggest concerns of its 1,300 members.

The EU chamber's annual report also said that the proportion of counterfeit goods seized at EU borders that originate in China fell to 60 percent last year from 80 percent in 2006, according to EU figures.

Paul Ranjard, who chairs the chamber's working group on intellectual property, said that the third draft of China's revised patent law had responded to more than 80 percent of the reservations that EU businesses had about earlier versions.

"We were getting increasingly concerned, extremely worried. Enforcement of patents was becoming totally unpredictable," Ranjard said. "So we're relieved, because we've seen China's intention."

Foreign pressure may play a role, but the progress is also credited to a clamor from the likes of Chinese scientists and movie makers for better protection of their own intellectual property.

The country's State Intellectual Property Office logged nearly 700,000 patent applications last year, more than in any other country.

Wang Zhongjun, the chairman of China Huayi Brothers Media Group, the largest private movie production company in China, said piracy was part of the environment.

"But the good thing is, you can see that the government is increasing its efforts to crack down on pirates," Wang said. "The situation has improved a lot in the last few years."

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