Usurping celebrity names

Chinese law experts have called for more public awareness and self-discipline over the craze for usurping the names of celebrities to register trademarks.

The move came after several attempts to register products with trademarks that sound the same as the names of national heroes or TV personalities.

According to earlier media reports, a citizen surnamed Liu from Changchun, capital of China's Northeast Jilin Province, said her 8-year-old son thought Qu Yuan the great Chinese poet for whom the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated was a farmer because the child saw a pig feed brand bearing Qu Yuan's name.

Analysts say individuals register celebrities' names then sell them or ask for compensation if celebrities want to recover the registered names.

Analysts say loopholes need to be closed and the law publicized to end abusive registrations.

WIPO seminar

Headed by the deputy director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), nearly 140 representatives will meet in Zhengzhou, capital of Central China's Henan Province, this month. The international seminar on traditional knowledge, traditional culture and genetic resources is jointly organized by WIPO, the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) and Henan Provincial People's Government.

This is the first time that WIPO is holding a large-scale international seminar on these issues. More than 50 foreign representatives, including government officials and experts from 31 countries and 10 international and regional organizations, have been invited.

Sources say an agreement is to be reached during the seminar, which will be a significant milestone in worldwide protection and development of traditional knowledge, folk art and intellectual property rights as a whole.

Jilin crackdown

The Jilin provincial government has banned local residents from wearing counterfeited products when going abroad in its plan drafted for IPR protection in 2007.

The Jilin government draft also restricts taking or sending counterfeits, including pirated CDs and DVDs, to overseas areas. Jilin is strengthening government crackdowns on counterfeits in its light industry, electronic industry, clothes, sports products and food. The provincial government also plans to set up a database on patent information.

Innovation festival

CCTV 2006 Innovation Festival, jointly organized by the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) and CCTV, recently kicked off. On December 2 and 3, award ceremonies were held for mobile phone and digital products.

This event has drawn attention from the economic and industrial design sectors in China and abroad. It spotlights the importance of innovative design for science and technology and economic development, as well as the improvement of living standards. It is expected to play a positive role in promoting China's innovative capability and intellectual property rights protection.

The award ceremonies for laptops and home appliances will be held on December 9 and December 10.

Top 10 cases

On December 6, Beijing Higher People's Court announced the 10 Major Cases of IPR Infringement in 2006.

It is introduced by a Judge of Beijing Higher People's Court that the principles established in these cases are of great importance to similar cases in the future.

The eye-catching case of Silk Street in Beijing selling counterfeit products tops the 10, which is a typical case that indicates the determination of the Chinese government in IPR protection and also sets up a trial principle that operators of the commodity market should be responsible for the IPR infringement acts within it.

In another copyright infringement case, Beijing Higher People's Court firstly ordered the infringer to make mental injury compensation to the copyright holder, which not only makes up the right holder's loss but also gives warning to the infringer.

(China Daily 12/09/2006 page9)