Strengthening Olympic intellectual property right (IPR)
protection will be a key part of Beijing's IPR campaign this year,
a local government official said yesterday.
"We are fighting a decisive battle in 2007 to prepare for the
2008 Olympic Games," said Wang Lijun, deputy director of the
Beijing municipal intellectual property bureau.
Wang made the remarks during the ongoing IPR Week 2007, which
was launched last Friday in Beijing to observe World Intellectual
Property Day tomorrow.
"To stamp out Olympic IPR infringements, we will focus on
protecting Olympic trademarks, copyright and patents," Wang
said.
A major element of the campaign is to boost public awareness of
the protection of Olympic logos and images.
The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX
Olympiad and the Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce
are working on an incentive system to reward city residents who
report Olympic symbol infringements to the government.
The system will be released in the second quarter of this year
and will target street vendors and small markets that illegally
hawk products carrying the Olympic symbols.
The municipal government also aims to improve public awareness
of the Beijing Service Center for IPR Protection this
year.?
The center opened last June. It deals with IPR infringement
complaints and ensures they are passed to the appropriate
government departments.
It is one of 50 IPR centers across China. The public can also
call 12312 for nationwide service.
Wang said Beijing has established a collaborative system with
IPR protection authorities in other cities that will also host the
Games.
The Beijing Municipal Copyright Bureau is also working on an
electronic system to monitor online infringement of Olympic video
and audio products.
(China Daily April 25, 2007)