Mr. Yu Guangzhou, Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Commerce and Mr. Peter Mandelson, the EU Commissioner for Trade, initiated the second term of EU-China IPR Protection Project on November 26, 2007 in Beijing. With 10 million euros from European Commission and over 5 million euros from China, the two parties will make joint efforts to complete the IP legal framework and law enforcement system in the next four years.

“Some measures and ways for the IPR protection will be further improved. The Chinese government has strong determination to respect and protect IP,” Mr. Yu said.

Mr. Peter Mandelson noted that he is pleased to see those views and ideas on IPR protection discussed last time have been come into legal provisions.

The two parties agreed to give primary focus on IPR protection in exhibitions, and three European specialists and Chinese members of the project will study how to strike on the infringement and piracy products under the framework with a more effective way to settle disputes, such as setting up arbitration agency and court during an exhibition.

In the 2007 China's Action Plan on IPR Protection released on April 1st this year (hereafter called 2007 Plan), the related departments have made specific regulations from the amendment to the Law of Trademark and Patent to the special action of cracking down moving video dealers.

According to Mr. Yu, the majority of the goals in the 2007 Plan have been reached till now. “IPR protection is a common issue of the world in economic development. Same as other countries, China has never skirted round it either,” the Vice Minister said.

A statistics made by the National Working Group for IPR Protection releases that there are 276 specific measures involving in ten fields listed out in the 2007 Plan, 116 more compared with 2006. These measures include laws and regulations on trademark, copyright, patent and customs protection, 14 special actions and 11 routine actions.

2007-11-30

2007-11-30