'Created in China' Should Speed Its Respect for IP Rights

摘要

Protection of intellectual property is still a major concern for those foreign direct investment (FDI) companies that operate laboratories in the Peoples Republic of China, according to a forum of China laboratory heads of Industrial Research Institute member companies. Thirty of these senior executives met to discuss mutual issues and share practices and experiences in September 2004 in Shanghai. Not only was IP protection the specific subject of one session, two of the other three topics, Retention of Personnel and the National Standards Process, referenced IP protection as a major issue. Those executives were echoing others from around the world. "U.S. business groups are calling the country's rampant infringement of intellectual property a huge pitfall [of our trade policy with China]," The Wall Street Journal reported in September (1). From toys to telecom equipment, from software to starters for autos, Chinese companies copy with impunity foreign designs patented in China for Chinese markets and even export the product to compete in the inventors' home markets.