Companies at China's largest trade fair that breach intellectual
property rights (IPR) will be permanently banned from future
events, organizers said.
The organizing committee of the 102nd China Import and Export
Fair (CIEF), commonly known as Canton Fair, said it is taking even
tougher measures this year.
Xu Bing, deputy director of China Foreign Trade Center and CIEF
spokesperson, told a press conference yesterday that all exhibiting
firms had been "urged to bear the responsibility of IPR
protection".
"The organizing committee will permanently ban those who breach
IPR of future exhibition opportunities," Xu said.
Xu said the organizing committee has always attached great
importance to IPR protection at China's largest trade event.
The organizing committee first set up a complaint station for
IPR protection at the 85th session in 1999.
The 102nd CIEF, which opens today, will see even more foreign
and domestic exhibitors than before.
A total of 480 overseas companies from 57 countries and regions
are seeking business opportunities to penetrate further the Chinese
market during the first phase of the fair, until October 20.
A total of 14,574 domestic companies showcase their products
during the later two phases of the fair, and 107 firms from Taiwan
and 49 from Hong Kong are attending the fair.
Of the overseas exhibitors, 56 are from Malaysia, 52 from South
Korea, 23 from the United States and 23 from Singapore, as well as
17 from the world's least developed countries.
In another development, the organizing committee changed the
fair's logo.
(China Daily October 15, 2007)
