Source: China IP News

"China's door will never be closed. It will only open wider." At the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) a year ago, the keynote speech delivered by President Xi Jinping displayed China's confidence and conviction in further opening-up to the world.

Over the past year, relevant government agencies in Shanghai have reinforced advanced IP protection even by international standard relying on the best practices gained at the inaugural CIIE. Member units of the Shanghai IP Joint Committee strengthened coordination and allocation of duties, protecting IPRs at all possible angles. Since its launch on August 1, the 100-day IPR protection campaign for the second CIIE has borne fruit. Enforcement agencies on the citywide aggressively cracked down on all types of IP infringements and prepared on-site services and relevant logistics in great detail, fostering a sound climate for IP protection in Shanghai.

Since August 1, the city has investigated and handled 151 trademark infringement cases, imposed over 1.2 million yuan in fines, transferred one case to police, and handled two cases of faking patent identity; inspected 23 geographical indications (GIs) and GI products; inspected market over 600 vendors/times.

Per Rui Wenbiao, Director General of Shanghai Intellectual Property Office (SHIPO), Shanghai is running the Operation Iron Fist 2019 featuring IPR enforcement, reinforcing efforts to handle patent infringement cases in which foreign and private enterprises are involved, gathering efforts in coordinating enforcement in e-commerce, synchronize enforcement online and offline and delivering heavy blows to severe patent infringements. Meanwhile, SHIPO has strengthened guidance and training to elevate the versatility of law enforcement officials and intensified protection of CIIE- related key trademarks and commodities in major parts and fields, imposed hard sanctions against trademark infringements, enhanced the standardized use of special marks of GI products and struck hard blows to using the name, logo and mascot Jinbao of the Expo without permission and selling fake CIIE merchandises and other IP violations.

Shanghai has paved an expressway of IP protection for Chinese and foreign exhibitors and purchasers from afar in the midst of attacking IP infringements. During the Expo, SHIPO will open an IP service window to fast-track review of patents relating to exhibited merchandises; Shanghai Customs will establish a special two-level window at the main import-export ports and the CIIE to meet enterprises' requirements of going through customs and safeguarding legal rights specially and directly; Procuratorates in Shanghai will set up a task force to specially mark and submit and preferentially manage the IP-related cases and carry out special litigation supervision on criminal cases related to CIIE. Many measures have been made to build an IP environment with legal, stringent, fast and equal protection for businesses and customers and merchants from home and abroad.

CIIE is not just a six-day fad but a long-term work in progress of China to face the world and future and facilitate common development in 365 days. The second CIIE will flourish in Shanghai in just about 20 days. An open China with sound business environment will be presented to the world once again.