Call 12330 for IPR

The State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) unveiled a free telephone number, 12330, to assist intellectual property right (IPR) enforcement during the national IPR publicity week starting April 25. In November 2008, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology approved the special number for the use of SIPO on Jan 20. The IPR enforcement assistance centers using the number will take tips or complaints on IPR infringement and other violation from any organization or individual directly, and those tips or complaints transferred from other agencies, and distribute the cases to relevant IPR administrative departments or police.

306 percent

According to a recent survey of 22 agricultural products by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, prices of the products increased sharply after registration of geographical indications, up 306 percent on average with the highest at 2,900 percent.

36 new flower varieties

Yunnan province in Southwest China possesses 36 new flower varieties, ranking No 1 in the nation by the end of 2008. In parallel, 70 percent of new varieties of fresh flowers were from the province, supporting an industry with an annual output of 17.6 billion yuan. The seeds of these IPR-boosting flowers were also sold abroad for the first time last year.

530,000 trademarks

China has enhanced the protection of international trademarks in recent years, as more than 530,000 foreign trademarks from more than 130 countries or regions had been registered in China by 2008, 100 times more than the 1979 level, said the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC). Companies and enterprises from only 20 countries or regions had registered their trademarks in China then. China had already set a trademark law system that suits both China's actual condition and the international regulation, and joined six international treaties or conventions concerning trademarks, hence international trademark protection has been greatly enhanced, SAIC said.

Top 10 IPR cases

On March 26, the Quality Brands Protection Committee under the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment (QBPC) held its ninth anniversary celebration in Beijing and announced the "2008-09 China Top Ten IPR Protection Cases". At least 19 Chinese law enforcement agencies and the United States Customs and Border Protection Bureau were commended as the investigation organs of the "Top Ten IPR Protection Cases". Five public security organs were included in the list. After nomination and vote, the Economic Crime Investigation Bureau under Ministry of Public Security (MPS) was selected as the "Outstanding Chinese Intellectual Property Protection Authority". QBPC started the annual selection activity for Top Ten Chinese IPR Protection Cases in 2002. Participating cases are nominated by more than 180 world-renowned multinational companies invested in China. The Executive Committee examines the cases and selects the top 10.

(China Daily 04/13/2009 page11)