China Says It Needs Better IPR Enforcement for Its own Innovation Efforts
On January 14, 2011, China's Minister of Commerce Chen, spoke to the Symposium with Foreign International Enterprises on intellectual property rights (IPR) Protection, and stated that China would stand firm on IPR protection in order for China to be more innovative and to upgrade its economy.
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Says Its Legal System is Adequate, but its IPR Enforcement is Not
Chen, who is also the deputy head of the Office of the Leading Group For Nationwide Special Operation Against IPR Infringement and Counterfeiting, stated that China has established a relatively sound legal system to protect IPR, but acknowledged that enforcement still falls short of expectations and China's drive to build itself into an innovation-driven country. Chen states that China only became familiar with IPR since its reform and opening-up policy 32 years ago, but that this is not an excuse for China's inadequate enforcement of IPR protection laws.
Will Work to Beef Up Its Enforcement, Increase International Cooperation
Chen stated that Chinese authorities would review and reassess China's six-month crackdown on infringements of intellectual property rights and counterfeiting to roll out a long-term mechanism to protect IPR. According to Gov.cn, the crackdown, which was launched in October 2010, has already resulted in the report of 16,036 cases of infringement and counterfeiting, the confiscation of 14.98 million dollars, and the arrests of 4,157 suspects. In November 2010, the Chinese Premier stressed the need for strengthened law enforcement and supervision in intellectual property right protection and said China would increase its international exchange and cooperation to further protect intellectual property rights.
(See ITT’s Online Archives or 12/16/10 news, 10121638, for BP summary of IPR agreements reached during the December 2010 JCCT meetings.)