The Third Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy began its first session in the International Conference Center of Geneva, Switzerland on the morning of January 30. Qin Zhang, deputy director of China's State International Property Office attended along with thirty other Chinese delegates from the Supreme Court, General Administration of Customs, State Administration for Industry and Commerce, etc. Representatives from international organizations, top government officials and businesses leaders gathered together to discuss how to respond to rampant global counterfeiting and piracy and agreed to develop a global action plan on combating piracy and counterfeit goods.
 
At his address to the opening ceremony of the Congress, Mr. Xuanguo Xiong, Vice President of the Supreme Court of the PRC, briefed on several rigorous measures that China has taken to protect IPR and combat counterfeit goods. "China has established a sound Criminal Law System for IPR protection. Over the past twenty years, China issued a series of laws, regulations and judicial interpretation in cracking down on the production and sales of counterfeit goods and piracy and protecting IPRs. Since its accession into the WTO, China, as a responsible member in the international community, has improved its legal system to conform with the international practice as it committed," said Mr. Xiong.    　　　　
 
Mr. Xiong also said that crimes such as infringing trademark rights may incur up to seven years in prison in China, which is more severe a punishment than before. In addition, closed cases involving IPR have grown in the last two years, with 769 cases concluded in 2006, an increase of 52% over the previous year.   　 
 
Counterfeit goods and piracy result in unfair competition. Thus they are thwarting the economic development as they translate into lost earnings, lost jobs and lost tax revenues as well as lost motivation for innovation by businesses. More seriously, counterfeit medicines and fake food are endangering consumers' health and safety. Mr. Xiong said, "frankly speaking, right now the production and sales of counterfeit goods and infringement of IPRs are still very rampant in a small number of regions and sectors in China. The reasons are as follows: first, at a lower stage of socio-economic development, China has yet to improve its legal system and strengthen its law enforcement; second, it is relatively difficult to collect evidence for crimes of IPR infringements, affecting the conclusion of such cases on the part of the court. We have to take strong measures against it." 
 
The representative of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) stated at the Congress that piracy and counterfeit goods cause over USD100 billion in economic losses to the world every year, accounting for 20 per cent of the total global trade volume. "Today, almost every product on the market is a target of counterfeiting and piracy, endangering human health and undermining economic development." The statistics of the WIPO show that counterfeit goods and piracy are more rampant in some Asian countries and regions and other countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Chile and Turkey. 　　
 
Mr. Guy Sebban, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce noted, "Our survey revealed that we need to take tough measures to do something about it. We need to tell governments of all countries and regions that more investment in IPR protection will bring more jobs and more tax revenues as well as help fighting against organized crimes." Representatives from other international organizations and leading businesses also called for all governments to play a more important role in protecing IPR and combating counterfeit goods and to increase financial support to businesses in their fight against counterfeiting and piracy. In addition, most participants raised the same issue that more efforts should be made in consumers' legal awareness education.

2007-02-05

2007-02-05