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Letter of the Ministry of Commerce about Reinforcing the Protection of Intellectual Property When Attending or Organizing Overseas
Exhibitions
Shang Fa Han [2007] No.16
The people’s governments of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, the cities specifically
designated in the state plan and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corporations.:
During these years, the Chinese enterprises have been involved in more and more disputes on intellectual property when attended overseas
exhibitions. On CPHL Worldwide 2006 which was held in France, the Chinese enterprise exhibitors were suspected of infringement on
intellectual property, which leaded to ill consequences, for example, some related personnel were detained and some exhibits were
confiscated. The same thing happened in March 2007 on CeBIT, which was held in Hanoverian, Germany. The repetitive occurrence of
such incidents shows that some Chinese enterprises are short of the awareness of protecting intellectual property and fail to place
enough emphasis on the protection of intellectual property when preparing to go abroad to attend exhibitions. Such incidents have
not only impaired China’s overseas good image in the facet of protection of intellectual property, but also resulted in great damage
to the reputation and interests of those enterprise exhibitors themselves and even endangered the personal safety of some individuals.
To respect and protect intellectual property is not only a requirement for the development of enterprises themselves, a requirement
for the development of national economy and science and technology, but also a requirement for promoting the sound development of
Chinese-foreign trade and economic relations. Therefore we should make continuous efforts to enhance enterprises’ understanding of
protecting intellectual property. For the purpose of guiding enterprises going abroad to attend exhibitions to do well the protection
of intellectual property, we hereby inform the related issues as follows:
1.
Great emphasis shall be laid on the protection of intellectual property in attending overseas exhibitions. More efforts in guiding
and supervising the related local functional management shall be made. And an effective work mechanism to avoid the occurrence of
infringements in overseas exhibitions shall be set up.
2.
The circumstances about the protection of intellectual property in the process of attending overseas exhibitions by local enterprises
shall be sorted out and analyzed. The administration of enterprises attending overseas exhibitions and entities organizing overseas
exhibitions shall be further reinforced. The examination and verification of the protection of intellectual property shall be taken
as an importance task.
3.
A responsibility system for infringements on intellectual property shall be set up. Those domestic enterprises that attend overseas
exhibitions or entities organizing overseas exhibitions which lead to serious consequences because of their infringement upon intellectual
property shall be imposed upon necessary punishment according to the actual circumstances.
4.
Enterprises attending overseas exhibitions or entities organizing overseas exhibitions shall be trained in terms of intellectual property
to improve their awareness of protecting intellectual property. They shall not only protect their own intellectual property but respect
others’ legitimate rights and interests.
5.
All regions shall actively conduct China’s business councils in foreign countries to hear the related suggestions when organizing
overseas exhibitions.
Each region shall contact the Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of Commerce in the case of any complaint or suggestion
in conducting the related work.
Contact person: Yang Hanhui, Chen Fuli
Tel: 65198154/8761
Ministry of Commerce
April 30, 2007
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