China will punish officials who do not enforce intellectual
property right (IPR) protection under a new State Council program
that intensifies the country's crackdown on IPR infringement.
The Action Program on IPR Protection for 2006-2007, issued by
the Chinese Government on Wednesday, is aimed to "bring IPR
infringement activities under effective control" and provides what
it calls an effective IPR protection mechanism.
"This is the first time China schemed an action program on IPR
protection, which highlights government's resolution in handling
the issue," said an official with a national working group on IPR
protection under the State Council.
"Intellectual property protection should be placed high on the
agenda of regional governments and integrated into master plans for
economic and social development," said the program, issued on World
Intellectual Property Day.
It urged implementing an accountability system under which
officials would be punished for not enforcing IPR protection and
covering cases of infringement. .
According to the program China would close down production lines
making pirated discs and crack down on the transport and sale of
the products.
The use of authorized software will be required at all
levels.
Administrators of marketplaces will be held accountable for the
sale of fake products. Marketplaces may be closed down because of
trademark infringement.
A national complaint system will be established to receive and
handle complaints.
IPR protection will be included in a national program to
publicize laws and taught in primary and high schools.
The program called for increasing international cooperation and
exchanges to fight IPR infringement.
China has stepped up IPR protection in recent years in an effort
to promote creative activities and innovation.
In one of the latest moves, the government has ordered all
computers manufactured in China to be pre-installed with authorized
operating systems before leaving the factory.
It also orders governments to only purchase computers with
pre-installed authorized operating systems.
Experts said IPR has become a hot issue that may cause a new
round of China-US trade frictions.
Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi recently called on domestic businesses to
keep enhancing the awareness of IPR protection and earnestly
undertake the social responsibility for IPR protection. .
She said that 99 percent of China's businesses had not applied
for patent and only 40 percent had their own brands.
Innovation was the soul for the development of science and
technology, she said, stressing that without IPR protection there
was no independent creation.
(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2006)