The European Union (EU) and the National Copyright
Administration of China are focusing on ways to further improve
enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR), officials
attending a joint IPR exchange program said.
China will fight piracy and further educate the public on
anti-piracy issues throughout this year, administration official
Wang Ziqiang said Monday in Beijing.
Paul Vandoren, head of an IPR unit at the Directorate-General
for Trade at the European Commission, said that tremendous change
has taken place in China as the government has realized the
importance of IPR protection.
Vandoren, who has been following China's IPR system since 1993,
said he is very impressed with the progress of the IPR system in
the country during the past two decades.
However, he is concerned about IPR legislation and enforcement.
China should do more to ensure effective enforcement across the
nation and to implement regulations that ensure copyright holders
of music and video products are paid by broadcasters, said
Vandoren.
Currently, the country has no regulations clearly defining rules
for payments by broadcasters to copyright holders for use of
products that are not published.
Vandoren said he is glad to learn that China will soon set up a
national intellectual property rights task group, headed by Vice
Premier Wu
Yi. He hopes it will mobilize regional IPR administrations to
more effective enforcement.
He said the EU will cooperate more with the State
Intellectual Property Office and other IPR-related
departments.
Wang said the administration is working with the State
Administration of Radio, Film and Television to develop a
regulation as soon as possible, so as to better protect copyright
holders of music and video products.
He said China is also drafting rules to protect copyrights of
works published on the Internet.
In the past two decades, China has implemented patent, trademark
and copyright laws and regulations that basically meet
international standards. Both judicial and administrative
departments are responsible for supervision and enforcement, said
Wang.
However, piracy is still rampant in some areas. Public IPR
awareness remains weak as a result of 40 years of a planned
economy.
Moreover, with a population of 1.3 billion, most of whom have
lower incomes, cheaper pirated products are extremely popular in
the market, Wang pointed out. "We must strengthen our battle
against piracy to avoid those activities becoming more
rampant."
He added that the Chinese government is willing to listen to
opinions and suggestions from the European Union and other
countries.
The EU-China joint IPR program was first outlined in 1996 and
substantially implemented in 2000, with a view toward nationwide
development of IPR in China. It focuses on training judges and
lawyers, educating the public and administrators, and providing
assistance to universities and research institutions.
China and the EU have conducted mutual exchanges of specialists
and held a series of seminars as part of the program.
(China Daily July 6, 2004)