IP scene

Beijing

Software registrations see record new levels

The number of annual software copyright registrations reached 700,000 last year, increasing 85 percent on 2016 and hitting a record high, the Copyright Protection Center of China recently announced. The number reached 100,000 for the first time in 2011 and was more than 400,000 in 2016.

People's Daily

Guangxi

Credit blacklist system aims at countering infringements

The industry and commerce authorities in Guangxi investigated in 456 cases involving trademark rights infringements in the first 11 months last year. The companies violating the rights of others were registered on a credit blacklist and publicized. The blacklisting system is a new initiative designed to punish trademark infringements. Local government officials said they have launched special campaigns focusing on famous trademarks and foreign brands.

Guangxi Daily

Guizhou

Report focuses on ethnic groups' cultural heritage

The Ministry of Culture announced 100 demonstration centers for the protection of national intangible cultural heritage between 2011 to 2016. That's according to a development report on the intangible cultural heritage of China's ethnic groups, which was launched in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province, on Dec 28. Of the protection centers across the country, 28 focus on 14 ethnic groups and 11 involve Tibetan culture and customs. Qinghai province has five such facilities, the largest in the country, followed by Xinjiang Uygur and Tibet autonomous regions, each with four.

Iprchn.com

Zhejiang

Maritime city of Zhoushan granted pilot status

Official approval was recently given for Zhoushan city to be a national intellectual property pilot city. It is the only one among a group of 12 cities that is designated to focus on improving the IP capacity in the marine economy. Maritime-related industries contribute more than 70 percent to the city's GDP. Companies and individuals in the city applied for 3,313 patents in the first 11 months last year, increasing 10.4 percent year-on-year.

Zhejiang Daily

Jiangsu

Exhibition center opens its doors in Zhenjiang

An exhibition center for the protection of judicial intellectual property rights was recently opened in Zhenjiang. It was founded by the People's Procuratorate of the Zhenjiang Economic and Technological Development Zone. The center uses criminal IP rights cases undertaken by the procuratorate as examples for visiting companies and individuals. Displays of counterfeit goods and pirated publications at the center can be compared with the genuine articles.

Procuratorate Daily

Hunan

Police authorities crack 395 cases, seize 984 suspects

Police authorities in Hunan cracked 395 cases involving counterfeit and substandard products between January to October last year, with a street value of 480 million yuan ($73.3 million). They also seized 984 suspects in the operations. Over the same period, nine related administrative authorities in the province investigated more than 13,000 cases in such areas as patent disputes, trademarks, unfair competition and online piracy.

Sanxiang City Express

(China Daily 01/11/2018 page17)