While attending the 17th CPC National Congress, delegate Tian Lipu, who is also the Commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), gave an exclusive interview with China Radio International (CRI). He noted that during the more than 20 years after China adopted the policy of reform and opening up to the outside world, China's IP undertaking has been developed from nothing and has made notable achievements that have captured world attention. Especially in the past five years after the 16th CPC National Congress, China's IP undertaking has made great progresses.

 

Tian first recalled the development of China's IP undertaking, noting that the IP legal system with patent, trademark and copyright as its three major pillars has been basically formed and is becoming perfect; China is in front rank in terms of IP creation, utilization and spreading worldwide. After China became a World Trade Organization (WTO) member, it sincerely implements its commitments upon WTO entry, abides by related regulations and on this basis, establishes extensive multilateral and bilateral cooperation with various countries. Up to now, China has established cooperative relations with several dozens of countries and regions.

 

Tian stated that all these achievements were actually closely related to the series of important strategic moves made by the CPC and Chinese Government. "In the past five years, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council attached great importance to China's IP development and adopted a series of preferential measures to boost its development, including establishing the National Leading Group of Strategic Formulation for Intellectual Property and National Working Group of Intellectual Property Protection, setting up some complaint organizations and adopting many important special activities. On World Intellectual Property Day on April 26 every year, China conducts extensive special activities to publicize IP information, protect IPR and crack down on piracy."

 

According to Tian, piracy has become a global problem and should be handled through extensive international cooperation and dialogues instead of confrontation and blames. "Piracy is a global problem. It is the Chinese people, not foreigners, that suffer most from IPR infringement. Chinese authors, audio-video producing units and cultural product manufacturers suffer great losses from piracy. In this regard, Chinese Government holds persistent and firm attitudes in cracking down on piracy and will not change its attitudes just because of foreign voices. China will constantly promote its stance in this regard. Of course, I think we should also need extensive international cooperation."

 

After the 17th CPC National Congress, China will publish its National IP Strategy. Tian revealed that the strategy will consist of a compendium and 20 special sections with wide coverage. It will cover almost all the areas of IP, such as IPR protection of patent and trademark, plant varieties and various specific sectors, as well as IP talent training.

 

Regarding the problems during the process of promoting the development of IP undertaking, Tian indicated that the overall consciousness of IP protection is still comparatively weak and need further improving. "Actually, Chinese people's consciousness of IP protection is a long-term problem that always haunts us. I think we still have to work hard before the whole society reaching the consensus of respecting and protecting IPR. Surely, we should not expect to make the achievement over one night. Actually, it is incredible for us to establish and perfect something within few decades that did not exist during the several thousands of years (in China) in the past, like what foreign countries did in the past several hundreds of years. Here, I would like to call for the whole society to make joint efforts to increase the overall consciousness of IP protection of Chinese people as soon as possible."

 

Tian added that in order to promote the development of Chinese IP undertaking, Chinese enterprises need to further improve their innovation capacity and make efforts to create their own independent intellectual property rights, including their own brands. Meanwhile, related governmental departments should also strengthen their IPR protection.

2007-10-19

2007-10-19