Symbols, mascots and anything else with an Olympic tag will be closely monitored by the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, our correspondent learnt at the Sixth Meeting of Guangdong/Hong Kong Expert Group on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights in Guangzhou.

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, the Director General of Guangdong Provincial Intellectual Property Office, Li Zhongduo, said the scheme of the joint expert group meeting had been very fruitful in building up the co-operation in many aspects.  The co-sponsored IP and SME development seminars had been successfully held for several times and would stay in the cooperation program.

Stephen Selby, Director of Hong Kong Intellectual Property Department, expressed the Special Administrative Region's desire to step up protection of Olympic IPRs as an event venue for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  Though only a few violations of Olympic IPRs popped up in the region, the Customs had levied severe penalties.(by Gu Qizhi/Li Wei/Li Zheng)