Administrative bureaus of industry and commerce at various levels
across the country have taken tough measures to punish
infringements of foreign trademarks according to the law over the
past two months.
This has effectively muzzled the illegal infringement of
intellectual property rights and helped create a good environment
for foreign investment in China, according to sources from the
State Administration of Industry and Commerce, the country's market
watchdog.
Local protectionism, which was one of the biggest headaches for
multinational companies, has been effectively dealt with according
to relevant laws including the trademark law and the anti-unfair
competition act.
In
three unannounced checks in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang
Province, a large quantity of garments and accessories illegally
using the "Crocodile" logo were seized by the local bureau of
industry and commerce, from mid-May to early June.
In
a warehouse in Hangzhou, fake Crocodile products worth more than
2.5 million yuan (US$302,000) were discovered last month.
This was the biggest case of the illegal use of famous foreign
trademarks in Hangzhou to date, in terms of the quantity and
variety, according to the local bureau.
Meanwhile, other cases of illegal use of foreign trademarks have
also been tried in Shanghai, and provinces like Guangdong, Sichuan,
Anhui and Hubei.
Bringing order to the market has topped the agenda of the
administration to meet the requirements of the World Trade
Organization, the official source said.
"The enforcement of intellectual property right laws in China will
be gradually improved as the nation continues its institution of
rule by law," said Zheng Chengsi, an expert from the Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences.
(Beijingnews.com.cn 07/03/2001)