The second China-US International Cooperation Forum on IPR begins

The 2nd China-US International Cooperation Forum on IPR kicked off Wednesday in Washington DC, with the objective of promoting bilateral exchanges on intellectual property rights (IPRs) protection. Government officials and representatives from the private sector participated in the Forum.

Addressing the Forum, the Deputy China International Trade Representative Chong Quan said "For China, encouraging innovation and protecting IPR not only cater to the need of restructuring its economy at the moment, but will also promote future development of its society. China has established a profound legal framework and law enforcement mechanism in dealing with IPR protection. And the government is deepening and broadening its work in the field. The Chinese government has set the target of building an innovation-oriented country and has therefore put IPR protection at a national strategic level."

The Chinese representatives also enlisted the past effective actions taken by the government for IPR protection. For example, in 2010, the central government launched a 10-month-long campaign in China to suppress the manufacturing and selling fake and shoddy goods. In 2011, the central government set up a national leading group led by Vice Premier Wang Qishan to deal with IPR infringement. All these efforts have achieved effective results.

David Kappos, the US Under Secretary of Commerce for intellectual property, praised China's efforts in this regard. The prime focus of this Forum will be on the information industry, particularly the internet. 

The Chinese deputy trade representative Chong Quan pointed out the challenges presented by internet industry, as he said that:
"The internet industry has entered its golden era. In China, to date, the volume of online transaction has reached six trillion yuan per year. That accounts for 13% of the total GDP. It has no doubt become a new economic growth point. Meanwhile, the protection of internet IPR has become an outstanding issue. At the recent China-US legal exchange conference, experts from both countries acknowledged that in the face of rapid technological innovation, IPR protection is more dependent on international cooperation. Only cooperation can bring development as well as create a win-win situation for both countries. Such a cooperative concept is not only conducive to our bilateral diplomatic relations, but will also benefit our cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, as well as IPR protection."
"By May 2011, all agencies of the Chinese central government were using legitimate software only. By June 2012, all provincial governments were doing so," he said, adding that municipal and township governments across the country are expected to catch up by the end of 2013.

Source