Zhou Hanmin anticipates a battle ahead. As a deputy director of Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, the official is ready for a tough campaign against intellectual property (IP) infringements of the upcoming Shanghai Expo in 2010 as preparations for the world gala gather steam.

"We fully realize Shanghai Expo's IP protection is confronted with greater challenges, along with the launch of the franchise program of Expo-licensed products," Zhou says.

"We foresee a trend of escalating (infringement) incidents," adds Zhou, referring to a number of unauthorized Expo logos on products, which authorities cracked down upon recently.

Shanghai Expo, to be held May 1-October 31, 2010, will be a showcase of urban achievements from worldwide participants. As of early this month, 205 nations and world organizations have confirmed their attendance.

As Zhou puts it, the World Expo is a great gathering of new thoughts, fresh ideas, new inventions and creations, and a significant platform to exchange human beings' innovative achievements.

World Expos - or World Fairs as they are also known - have served as a platform to showcase or promote many a great inventions and innovations since the first was held in London in 1851. Among the modern marvels popularized at previous World Expos are the telephone, television, elevator and hamburger.

Thus organizers of the Shanghai event are fully aware of the importance of putting IP rights at the top of their agenda.

It's also clear that it will not be an easy job not only protecting their own event's IP rights, including the event's name, emblem, mascot, theme and slogan, but also the rights of participating countries and organizations.

And challenges are intensifying after Haibao, the mascot of Shanghai Expo, was unveiled last December and a franchising program focusing on the development of licensed Expo products under 12 major categories got under way.

So far, several cases of selling unlicensed Expo products in Shanghai, including in Shanghai's famous tourist venues of Yuyuan Garden and Shanghai Ocean Aquarium, and its neighboring cities have been reported.

Organizers reported in April that they found counterfeit cellphone accessories and key chains decorated with Haibao's image in aquarium gift shops in February and at the garden in March.

The Industry and Commerce Administration of Pudong New Area is handling the first case and the case in Yuyuan Garden is still under investigation, says Zhang Xinlong, associate director of the marketing department of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination.

The Internet is also a key battleground for Expo's IP protection, as organizers remind the public that there are currently no official online retail stores.

Authorities are also determined to safeguard the rights and interests of those set to bring their innovative works to the expo. In a show of the government's resolve to crack down on IP rights violations, the central and municipal governments have issued a number of IP right regulations, which observers say are unprecedented for a single event in China.

China's State Council, the country's cabinet, passed the Regulation on the Protection of World Expo Logo Marks in four months and seven days in October 2004, which amazed Zhou because he never expected a regulation could ever be approved in such a short time.

To build a wider protection network, the organizers led 16 companies and Websites producing or selling Expo licensed products in a vow last month to protect proper usage of Shanghai Expo's logo and the image of Haibao.

IP rights protection experts from China's universities and government think tanks were invited to serve as consultants.

"In addition to government efforts, enterprises and the public are also driving sources for Expo IP rights protection," Zhou says.

Also, the expo organizers have teamed up with government agencies, including Customs, the Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration and local industry and commerce watchdogs in Expo IP rights safeguarding.

Zhao Jiaoli, an official with Shanghai Bureau of Industry and Commerce, says her department has put in place a wide protection network for expo logos, coordinating its 180 branches and sub-branches in the city.

"We will focus our check-up on production, selling and trademark printing, targeting mainly commemoration badges, coins, stuffed toys, garments, decorations and stationeries," she says.

Organizers take the issue very seriously, Zhou says, adding that the organizers would devote as much effort to protect the IP rights of overseas exhibitors.

Chen Zhixing, director of Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration, says foreign exhibitors would be granted priorities, including faster "green passage", when they apply for IP rights protection at the event.

(China Daily 05/19/2008 page9)