Beijing
National patent week
China Patent Week, which started on Monday, focuses on meeting the demands of the business community, according to the State Intellectual Property Office. This year, the annual weeklong promotional event aims to help companies sharpen their edge in intellectual property and offers more training on patent analysis, management and operation. During the event SIPO also encourages IP service providers to pay more attention to small-and micro-businesses and offer them tailor-made solutions.
China Intellectual Property News
Insiders call for improvements
Industry insiders called for an improved legal system and more copyright awareness for paid music at the Music Industry Forum. It was suggested that the government, the business community and society as a whole should cooperate to foster a healthy environment for the music industry and give it balanced protection. Zhang Hongcheng, deputy director-general of the Copyright Society of China, said well-established laws and market operations were two approaches to improve the copyright environment.
People.com.cn
Shanghai
Copyright trading center opens
The first national-level copyright trading center in the Yangtze River delta region opened in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone on Nov 13. The center is expected to promote international copyright exchanges and explore innovative policies in copyright pledges, evaluation, registration systems, customs, taxation and financial services. The center held its first activity, the 2014 China Culture Licensing Fair, on the same day it opened.
Cs.com.cn
Fujian
Counterfeit clothes seized
Police in Shishi city caught someone making and selling clothes with faked trademarks last week. Officers seized the suspect, surnamed Gong, in a residential community along with about 15,100 items of clothing carrying counterfeit trademark labels such as Nike and Li-Ning. The haul had a combined potential retail value of around 3 million yuan ($489,413.6). Police started the undercover investigation in mid-October.
news.cyol.com
Guangdong
Fake alcohol raids
In a series of raids Shenzhen police cracked down on a group who made more than 100,000 bottles carrying fake alcohol labels since September last year. Officers targeted three locations at the same time and found 70,000 fake alcohol labels along with empty bottles. Officials from the Guangzhou office of the UK-based International Federation of Spirits Producers also attended the operation and said brands involved included Hennessy, Johnnie Walker, Martell and Remy.
Shenzhen Special Zone Daily
Henan
Karaoke dispute in court
The intermediate court of Sanmenxia city began hearing a case in which a local intellectual property agency sued 17 karaoke operators in the city. The claimant said the operators used more than 200 MTV works without authorization. The plaintiff said it was licensed with exclusive rights for the involved works in the province from the copyright owner, a Beijing-based music producer. The claimant asked for 1.5 million yuan ($244,706.8) in compensation from the defendants.
Chinanews.com
Jiangsu
First IP insurance policy
The nation's first comprehensive IP insurance policy was issued to a company in Suzhou Industry Park. According to the policy, Sinoma Science & Technology Co Ltd paid $50,000 to Cathay Insurance, which will undertake its risks of all IP lawsuits for a year, with a compensation ceiling of $1 million. The insured company has half of its sales overseas. If it encounters IP disputes the insurer's legal representative is authorized to directly participate in all legal actions.
Suzhou Daily
Hong Kong
Design award winners
Non-profit organization Hong Kong Design Center announced the 18 winners of the Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award 2014 on Nov 12. The winners represent a wide range of categories including product and industrial design, apparel and accessory design and environmental design. The annual event started in 2005 and this year opened in April. It aims to nurture up-and-coming designers based in Hong Kong aged 35 or below.
China Daily
