China advances efforts to better protect IP rights

Global Business

China advances efforts to better protect IP rights

China has greatly stepped up with intellectual property rights protection over the past ten years. As CGTN’s Sun Ye reports, the efforts are shown in words and deeds while also recognized both at home and abroad. 

A national, full-blown special operation to make sure foreign businesses have their IP rights protected here in China. Starting late 2017.

Impressive…but only one from a long list of such Chinese efforts in the last ten years.

US chip maker Qualcomm is the No.1 overseas owner of Chinese patents in 2017. It says the decade of IPR protection improvement could explain its growing investment in China.

And votes of confidence come from big and smaller players alike.

“My company successfully enforced our IPR rights at all levels in China…in courts… disputes etc.. And I compared IPR systems in many countries. China is one of the best,” William Mansfield, director of Intellectual Property, Abro Industries said.

Experts said that’s part and parcel of China’s own shift to a new, innovative economy.

“Many overseas companies now actively CHOOSE China as the place to settle IPR disputes, that, among other progresses in recent years says what China’s IPR environment is really like,” said Wang Changlin, Deputy Director of the Academy of Macroeconomic Research Institute, NDRC.

China paid more than $28 billion on intellectual property royalties to overseas rights owners in 2017. In 2001, it was not even $2 billion. And that’s another pair of figures often cited to show China’s resolve to respect and protect intellectual property rights.

Coming from the country’s top leadership, China has repeatedly pledged “zero-tolerance” on forced technology transfers.

“We will not allow forced technology transfer in the manufacturing sector or other areas. We’re resolute in protecting intellectual property rights and will NOT allow infringements on the parts of overseas enterprises investing in China,” Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said.

And Premier Li stressed that position again in a recent forum, promising a fair playing ground and growth for all companies in China.


Marc A. Ross discusses China’s efforts to protect intellectual property rights

CGTN’s Rachelle Akuffo spoke with Marc A. Ross, founder of Caracal Global about China’s efforts to protect intellectual property rights.