Finding a Path Forward on Chinese IPR
The protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) in China is a top priority for both industry and government in both the U.S. and China. The reason for this is clear and can be seen in the recent Department of Commerce study on the importance of IP in the United States: IP-intensive industries support 40 million direct and indirect jobs which accounts for nearly 30 percent of total American jobs. As China continues to seek ways to grow its middle class and support small businesses, protecting IP is increasingly critical for China.
During the recent GIPC Industry Mission to China, staff and members delivered in person the GIPC comments regarding the draft amendments to China’s Copyright law amendments. The Chinese government announced years ago that it is undertaking a comprehensive review of China’s IPR laws. This process began with amendments to China’s patent law, turned to China’s Trademark law, and recently has reached China’s Copyright law. The GIPC has been closely tracking these matters and places the highest priority on the important issues at stake in this process, and looks forward to continuing to work with Chinese ministries and Chinese domestic stakeholders on these issues.
Additionally, during the GIPC Mission, staff and GIPC members had the opportunity to meet with representatives from the Chinese State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Commerce, the Supreme People’s court, as well as partnered with Renmin University on a roundtable discussion on IP on Renmin’s Beijing campus. As China continues to attempt improve its IP laws and improve enforcement, the input of U.S. industry into this process is critical and the GIPC will continue to advocate and educate regarding IP in China.
