IP Scene

1. Beijing

International Copyright Expo set to begin on Nov 18

The China International Copyright Expo to be held at the National Convention Center from Nov 18 to 21 will include an international forum on a wide range of issues including digital music copyright protection, innovation, development trends and sustainable growth of traditional music worldwide.

Founded in 2008, the annual event also serves as a forum to seek partners and go global, organizers said.

"Hosting the fair reflects the Chinese government's determination and resolution to value copyright protection and promote related industries," they said.

Number of SOEs to fall sharply in next five years

The number of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) controlled by the central government is expected to fall to 30 to 50 from the current 123 over the next five years, said Li Baoming, head of a research institute at the SOE watchdog State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC).

Li made the comments at a high-level forum held Oct 30.

The remaining SOEs will have proprietary intellectual property, globally renowned brands and an edge in international competitiveness, Li said.

Mergers and acquisitions will be used to expand scale and sharpen their edge in the fierce international competition, he said.

According to the SASAC plan, the number of central government SOEs will be reduced to 80 to 100 by the end of this year.

2. Jiangxi

New IP legal aid center opens

A legal aid center recently opened at an intermediate court in Pingxiang to offer free consultancy services on intellectual property.

The services cover a wide rang of issues including trademarks, patents, copyrights, commercial secrets and unfair competition.

The center will also cooperate with the city's administrations of technology, press and publication, commerce and industry, and the police to gather facts in major IPR disputes.

3. Guangdong

Bruce Lee's daughter defends rights and use of his name

Bruce Lee's daughter Sharon Lee flew back to her father's ancestral home in the southern province last week to protect the commercial name of the martial arts legend.

Without authorization, Chinese companies and individuals have registered Bruce Lee's name and images as trademarks for commercial purposes, she said.

She said she does not mind using the kungfu master's image at the Shanghai World Expo that closed on Oct 31, but it is inappropriate to use it for fast food chains, she said.

After a nationwide research, Lee said her team found the unauthorized registration of Bruce Lee's Chinese name - Li Xiaolong - in Changsha, Shanghai, Qiangdao and Shunde.

The superstar's name has been registered for coffee, dumplings, candy, instant noodles, ice cream, tooth brushes and paste, and home appliances.

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) recently addressed the issue, making it clear that the right to use Lee's Chinese and English names belongs to his heirs.

Unauthorized use of Lee's name or image as trademarks misguides consumers and has an adverse influence on society, the commerce administration said.

Other applications to use the name now being processed will be rejected, the SAIC said.

The administration added that Lee's heirs should initiate legal proceedings to revoke trademarks that already passed initial examination or have been registered.

4. Macao

Innovation, property rights forum draws entrepreneurs

An annual forum on intellectual property rights held last week attracted a number of entrepreneurs, experts and scholars from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao.

They shared insight into the latest developments ranging from applications in the environmental industry to growth of an innovation-driven economy.

Though the global economy is beginning to recover, the prospects are still uncertain, said Bao Hong, vice-commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO).

Acquiring intellectual property in key technologies is crucial to stimulating growth, Bao noted.

Sou Tim Peng, director of economic services for the Macao Special Administrative Region, said at the meeting that intellectual property protection will be central to future competition.

Macao has experienced a slight year-on-year increase in intellectual property applications from January to September, especially in the service industry, according to the director.

Co-sponsored by SIPO, Macao's economic services administration and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's intellectual property department, it was the 11th session of the annual event.

China Daily

(China Daily 11/03/2010 page17)