Notable Progress Made from 2009's Seven Initiatives in Customs' Protection of IPR

On the morning of April 19, 2010, the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) held a press conference in Beijing for introducing China Customs' protection of Intellectual Property Right (IPR) in 2009 and the top ten cases of China Customs' protection as well.

During the conference hosted by Wang Hua, Deputy Inspector of the GACC's General Office and Director-General of the GACC's Information Office, attendees Mr. Zhao Fudi, GACC's Press Spokesman and Director-General of the GACC's General Office, and Ms. Meng Yang, Director-General of the Policy and Regulations Department of the GACC, respectively answered the questions of some present reporters.

According to Mr. Zhao Fudi, in 2009 China Customs intensified substantially its protection of the IPR through a series of new initiatives, mainly consisting of the seven efforts below:

1. Taking initiative to investigate and punish the infringement of IPR through the full play of Customs control and supervision, with 98.5% of total infringing goods and 94.3% of their total value detained in 2009 by all Customs authorities around China.

2. Throughout all Customs authorities of China, deploying a special campaign with a period of 7 months for the IPR protection against both post mail and express delivery where the infringement had been found frequently.

3. Continuing the protection enhancement for the proprietary IPRs of domestic enterprises and guiding them to seek actively the protection by Customs authorities.

4. Maintaining and strengthening the IPR protection through the deeper cooperation with the public security organs, the administration for industry and commerce as well as other law enforcement authorities, with 186 suspected criminal cases of infringement handed over to the public security organs in 2009 by all Customs authorities around China.

5. Continuing to deeply cooperate with IPR owners in the research of legislation and law enforcement and in the international cooperation in Customs' law enforcement.

6. Further expanding the law-enforcement cooperation in the IPR protection among international Customs, including: the successful implementation of a "Zero Counterfeit" Plan on the IPR protection among China Customs, Japan Customs and R. O. Korea Customs; the cooperation between China Customs and the U.S. Customs under a memorandum on IPR cooperation; the preliminary signing of the Plan on Strengthening Cooperation in Customs' Protection of Intellectual Property Right between China Customs and the European Union Customs, and etc.

7. Vigorously carrying out the IPR publicity and education among importing, exporting, and manufacturing enterprises, with a high-level forum on China's IPR protection and an online interview on Customs' protection of the IPR held successfully in 2009 by all Customs authorities of China with other related authorities, aiming to promoting enterprises' awareness of IPR protection.