Better viewing

The China Video Industry Association (CVIA) announced the launch of a new consortium of Chinese electronic manufacturers to improve home-grown digital interface standards.

The group, called China Digital Interface Industry Alliance (CDIA), "will promote the development of new interface technology by enhancing co-operation between players along the industrial chain, ranging from terminal makers to chip manufacturers," says Bai Weimin, secretary-general of CVIA.

Interface technology is crucial to the quality of high-definition viewing and listening.

Bai added that the CDIA would work to protect copyrights for digital content.

CVIA also expressed support for the use of HDMI, a popular digital interface technology, in China's consumer electronics industry, and helped lower the annual administration fee charged to HDMI adopters from US$15,000 to US$10,000, which will take effect November 1.

More than 400 makers of consumer electronics and PC products worldwide use HDMI, including 82 companies in China.

Technology drive

China will increase credit support and tax rebates for high technology machinery exporters to enhance the nation's exports of technology-intensive machines by 2010.

According to a document from the Ministry of Commerce, China will soon adjust the rebate rate for machinery in hopes of encouraging the export of advanced machinery. The move is also expected to encourage domestic machine makers to invest more on product research and development.

The central government will lend most of the support to industries dealing in aviation equipment, shipbuilding, auto components, and telecommunication. At the same time, the authorities will make efforts to rein in the production and export of high energy-consuming and high polluting products.

China is trying to expand the export volume of high technology machinery to 55 per cent of the total by 2010. Self-developed products are also expected to make up over 20 per cent of China's total machinery exports by that date.

Patent surge

Chinese patent applications in other countries are expected to exceed 3,000 this year, the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) says.

SIPO statistics show that Chinese patent applications in other countries reached 1,200 in the first five months of this year, a rise of 58.7 per cent over the same period last year. SIPO experts estimate that the number could hit 3,000 for the first time if the trend continues.

Meanwhile, the number of patents filed at home also grew to 250,703 in the first half of the year, an increase of 25.4 per cent over the year-earlier period.

China applied for only 300 patents when it first joined the International Patent Cooperation Union. By 2000, applications exceeded 1,000 for the first time. Last year, China ranked tenth among members of the patent union with 2,452 applications.

Piracy bust

Local authorities of Central China's Henan Province seized more than 10,000 pirated DVDs during an anti-piracy spot check in the capital city of Zhengzhou over the weekend.

A team of local police and intellectual property officials checked three warehouses in Zhengzhou, where more copyright smugglers are reproducing pirated DVDs. In the following spot checks, the team found more than 10,000 copies of pirated DVDs.

The action is part of an anti-piracy campaign launched by the Ministry of Public Security. The campaign, to last from late July until the end of October, is targeted at cracking down on illegal reproduction of copyrighted materials.

During the campaign, local police authorities are stepping up efforts to further investigate and uncover illegal DVD production lines and crack down on gangs engaged in illegal reproduction of DVDs and books.

Police have intensified patrols and examinations at railway stations, bus stops, harbours and airports searching for clues on pirated materials, transportation and sales.

Brand building

China's Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) will arrange a special fund of 700 million yuan (US$87.5 million) to support the brand-building efforts of domestic enterprises in China.

Officials from the two Ministries say the special fund will be used to encourage local companies to establish their brands. MOFCOM will also set up four systems of brand evaluation, brand promotion, brand protection, and brand awareness.

Official statistics show that less than 20 per cent of the import and export enterprises in China hold independent trademarks and that products bearing Chinese brands make up less than 10 per cent of China's total exports.

China has many new brands, with more than 170 categories of products, but many believe few can survive and develop into influential names. The average life span of a Chinese enterprise is only 7.3 years.

(China Daily 07/31/2006 page9)