Forum addresses fight against infringement, counterfeiting

A forum on international cooperation in fighting IPR infringement and counterfeiting was held during the second China International Import Expo, gathering government officials, business representatives and insiders.

China has adopted a number of laws and regulations recently to protect IPR. These includes China's first e-commerce law, a new trademark law and a foreign investment law, said Gan Lin, vice director of the State Administration for Market Regulation of China.

Between January and August, 190,000 IPR infringement cases were cracked nationwide, and courts across the country heard 11,000 cases in this area, with verdicts on more than 8,300 cases reached, a significant rise from last year, said Gan. The General Administration of Customs has also established a big data and Internet plus analysis platform in this field.

China has also stepped up international cooperation, and police in China have conducted a joint crackdown against IPR infringement with counterparts from countries such as the United States, the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands, said Gan.

"Science and industrial revolution has brought not only unprecedented opportunities, but also challenges, as there is an increase in cross-border crimes and an increase in cross-border flows of infringement and counterfeiting products," she said.

"The integration of online and offline crime has posed severe challenges for traditional law enforcement, and trade protectionism also hinders joint efforts of the international community in crackdown on IPR infringement," she added.

"We will continue lifting supervision and management efficiency, deepening international cooperation, enhancing evidence sharing and joint investigation to jointly crack down on cross-border crimes in the field," she said.

"Shanghai will promote IPR administrative law enforcement, provide support on creating a top-level business environment and safeguard fair and orderly market order," said Shanghai Vice Mayor Peng Chenlei.

"To develop business, you have to have some preferential policies. And to continue business, you have to have consistency and strength in the policies that you have developed. And the policies have to work," said J Bruce Schelkopf, group senior vice president and DGC legal and global chief IP officer of ABB.

"The business environment in China is healthy," he said.

"Predictability and consistency are very important to build trust, and if we have a problem, we know where to go and how to get the right outcome," he said.

"The ability to file cases has been eased, the professionalism of the people we work with in China in the protection efforts in anti-counterfeiting and in the case management has gone up," he said.

The forum is important in promoting and fostering international cooperation in building a sound IP system, said Minelik Getahun, assistant director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization.

"IP enforcement in today's world requires a joint effort by a wide range of parties such as police, customs and prosecutors, and it is crucial to take a collaborative approach," he said.