IP scene

Beijing

Administration safeguards intellectual property rights

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce will continue its efforts on trademark management to foster a fairplay market for domestic and overseas companies in China, said Liu Junchen, deputy director of the administration, at the 2016 Ambassador's Intellectual Property Rights Roundtable, a high-level government and industry forum held on Saturday. The theme of the forum covered global trademark protection, trademark registration and strategies.

Saic.gov.cn

Guangdong

WeChat to remove counterfeit articles

Shenzhen-based tech giant Tencent recently announced that its social media platform WeChat received some 10,000 complaints on public accounts in the first three months of this year, half of which were copyright disputes. Most of them involved plagiarized articles, and those involving pirated videos increased sharply, according to the company's report. Executives from Tencent's legal department said the pirated content will be removed and the accounts will be warned, restricted or banned.

Legal Daily

Hunan

Changsha trials maglev rail line with passengers

After more than four months' of no-load operations, China's first home-developed low-speed maglev rail started its trial run with passengers on Saturday in Changsha. Five trains on the line carried more than 5,000 passengers during the eight-hour operation The research team of the line said it featured low noise, high safety and strong climbing ability. China is now the fourth nation in the world to master medium and low-speed maglev rail technology.

Shandong

Trademark case decided in favor of Xiaomi

According to a recent ruling by a court in Beijing, Weifang Rainchst Auto Co has to pay 400,000 yuan ($61,390) compensation to Beijing-based Xiaomi Technology Co Ltd for violating its trademark rights and illicit competition. The automaker's M-shaped logo on its electric cars looks similar to the trademark of Xiaomi. The vehicle's name is "Lei Jun Electric", and Lei Jun is the name of Xiaomi's founder.

Beijing Times

Qingdao focuses on patent-pledge loans

As one of the first cities in China to have patent-pledge loans, Qingdao will continue the policy and regard it as a focus in this year's IP efforts, said an official from the local technology authority. So far, 54.6 million yuan ($8.3 million) in loans has been approved to 16 small high-tech companies in the city, 46.6 million yuan of which has been granted. The first patent operation fund in Qingdao will also be launched this year.

Qingdao Daily

Zhejiang

Exhibition hall attracts 1,000 young visitors

The intellectual property exhibition hall in the Yiwu customs has hosted more than 1,000 young visitors, from kindergarten children to college students, since it opened in October 2013. The exhibits include real and fake products in comparison. There are also videos and interactive games to help children and teenagers distinguish counterfeit products from genuine ones.

Customs.gov.cn

(China Daily 05/11/2016 page17)