China's top intellectual property administrator said here
Thursday that the Chinese government sincerely pushes forward IP
legislation and law enforcement, but the attempts to politicize IP
disputes are not acceptable.
Tian Lipu, director of the State Intellectual Property Office
(SIPO), said IP disputes could be resolved in accordance with the
Chinese IP legal system, which has been established since 1985 when
China passed its patent law.
The Chinese legal system undoubtedly protects patents and
trademarks authorizing to overseas companies and their joint
ventures in China, which gained smart profits from the Chinese
market.
"IP protection is a global issue which should be handled through
bilateral or multilateral cooperation instead of confrontation,"
Tian said.
"On issues concerned with public health, environmental
protection and emission reduction, we encourage companies with
advanced technologies to shoulder more social responsibility and
help developing countries address the challenges facing the human
society as a whole," Tian said.
"The Chinese government is earnest to deal with IP disputes,
particularly those between Chinese and foreign companies," said
Tian, who himself has been a longtime patent examiner.
Talking about IP disputes between China and the United States,
Tian said, "There is no irresolvable issue in the IP area if the
rights and wrongs are judged only by laws."
"The Chinese law enforcement and judiciary branches protect
legitimate rights for both Chinese and foreign companies," Tian
said.
"We of course don't like the US lodging complaints to the World
Trade Organization," Tian said, "but we are not afraid of any
resort to the WTO mechanism."
In recent years, US giants General Motors and Pfizer had fierce
disputes over IP protection in China for their best-selling
products, Spark mini-cars and Viagra anti-impotence pills.
(Xinhua News Agency October 19, 2007)