Government warns officials against IPR violations
(Xinua)
Updated: 2006-04-28 11:10 It will include a supervising
administration to prevent serious violations and break up the gangs
involved.
The plan also urges local governments to make IPR protection a
priority and to include it in social and economic development
programs.
The government will strengthen management of departments in
charge of trademarks, copyrights, patents and public security at grassroots
levels to make their law enforcement capability compatible with their
responsibility.
It calls on government departments to clear up
outstanding trademark infringement problems through stricter management.
The
plan promises greater efforts to crack down on major patent infringement cases
by handling those cases more efficiently.
It lists food, drugs,
agriculture, and new and high technology as priorities in the protection of
patent rights.
China will establish IPR infringement service centers in
50 cities to coordinate protection efforts.
Zheng Shaodong, Assistant
Minister of Public Security, said police have recorded more than 6,700
infringement cases in the past five years, involving 3.5 billion yuan (US$437.5
million).
They had arrested more than 9,300 people for alleged
violations, and broken up several international criminal networks, Zheng
said.
Under Chinese law, IPR-related criminals face up to seven years in
prison and fines in accordance with different types of
infringements.
China's customs and public security authorities will hold
regular joint meetings to combat infringements, the Shanghai Evening Post
reported on Thursday.
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