US to hold IPR course for China's provincial-level officials

Sources: http://www.sina.com.cn, CRI Online, China Business News

Staff reporter Wang Qing from Beijing

Stephen M. Pinkos, deputy under secretary of commerce for intellectual property and deputy director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and Chris Israel, US Coordinator for International Intellectual Property Enforcement, say in Beijing that China is putting its promise for IPR protection made at the JCCT in April into effect and has seen some developments.

Pinkos and Israel have led an IPR protection delegation to China for a one-week visit to China. This delegation aims to push China to actively put its related promises into effect. The JCCT framework is "very valuable."

This delegation will attend the JCCT IPR working meeting on Aug. 22 and will exchange ideas with Chinese officials from the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), the Trademark Office under the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (CTMO), the Supreme Court and the National People's Congress (NPC) between Aug. 23 and 24.

In an interview with the China Business News, Pinkos says at the JCCT working meeting, which recently ended, the two discussed the enforcement of civil laws and criminal laws related to IPR, discussed enhancing IPR protection at exhibitions and discussed amending China's Copyright Law and Trademark Law.

According to Israel, the Chinese government has made active and positive commitments to IPR protection. He cites China's progress in the use of authorized software to demonstrate efforts by the Chinese government to protect IPR. He says the US government is very interested in seeing this progress. He also says the US government hopes to further cooperate with the Chinese government and hopes to see effective achievements and significant progress which will improve the environment for IPR protection and allow more high
technology products from the US to enter the China market.

In commenting on Susan Schwab's recent stance of "not resorting to the WTO to solve China-US trade conflicts," Israel says that the US government hopes to use every possible measure to get to know Chinese officials better. Contact within the framework of the JCCT is a very valuable approach. The US government will appoint IPR officers for Beijing and Guangzhou respectively.

Pinkos says that the US government attaches great importance to strengthening cooperation with local governments around China. During this visit to China, officials from the Office of the US Trade Representative will visit cities around China to observe the local situation. In addition, the US government has decided to appoint two IPR commissioners, one to Beijing and one to Guangzhou.
These two officers will assume office soon. The Commercial Division of the US and other divisions of the US embassy also plan to hold IPR training programs for Chinese officials at the provincial level.

Ke Heng [pinyin], an employee with the International Intellectual Property office at the US Embassy in China, told the reporter that the US government has worked hard for many years to maintain contact with local government officials around China on IPR issues. The US government suggests the Chinese government follow the US model by establishing a national IPR appeals court to crack down on local protectionism in China.