More money for science

The Chinese government plans to invest 5.359 billion yuan for scientific funding this year, 25 percent more than last year. The planned investment was announced at the first session of the sixth National Natural Science Foundation meeting.

In recent years, the State's scientific funding investment has been growing steadily, increasing from 2.047 billion yuan in 2003 to 4.298 billion yuan in 2007. The annual growth rate exceeds 20 percent, and the total investment has doubled, explained Chen Yiyu, director of the National Natural Science Foundation. He added that the environment for innovative research is improving.

In 2007, the National Natural Science Foundation subsidized 14,700 projects worth 4.975 billion yuan. This year, the National Natural Science Foundation has received applications for 80,393 projects from various departments; and plans to allocate 6.4 billion yuan in subsidies.

Counterfeit torch arrest

Hong Kong Customs officers have arrested a 33-year-old woman for selling counterfeit Beijing 2008 Olympic Games torches on an Internet auction site, a government press release said.

According to press release from the Information Services Department of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, undercover officers arranged a transaction with the woman in a subway station and arrested her, seizing a fake torch. They seized another four counterfeit torches in ann apartment.

Two of the torches were made of metal and the rest made of cloth and cotton, the press release said.

Young inventors contest

A Young Inventors Contest has begun in Guangzhou, Guangdong province through August 8.

Jointly organized by the Guangzhou Municipal Intellectual Property Office, Municipal Education Bureau, and Tianhe district government, the contest aims to encourage independent innovation by teachers and students in primary and secondary schools, and educate them about intellectual property rights.

All teachers and students from colleges and primary and secondary schools, youths from enterprises and young people under the age of 35, can submit their inventions, including models and designs .

IPR protection training

The State Intellectual Property Office in Beijing recently held an IPR protection course for small- and medium-sized enterprises and well-known brands. It was aimed at strengthening the businesses abilities to compete internationally.

The training will also promoted legal services for IPR work and instructed them on using the IPR system to help foster independent innovation.

More than 130 representatives from 80 companies and the Federation of Industry and Commerce participated.

Sino-German IPR classes

The Ninth Sino-German IPR Law Courses were held in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province on May 28. The bulk of the training includes Germany's IPR laws, law enforcement system, judicial philosophy, law adaptation, Chinese IPR case studies and practical guidance.

Nearly 150 participants from Gansu Provincial Intellectual Property Office, Trade and Industry Administration, Copyright Bureau, Public Security Bureau, Lanzhou Customs, Food and Drug Administration, took part in the training.

The Sino-German IPR Law Course is part of a legal cooperation project between the two countries, which is designed for the IPR law enforcers, IPR judges and IPR management staff.

(China Daily 06/09/2008 page9)

2013-07-17