In the News: Overseas Trademark Protection; Dispute Tribunal at Expo and Gang-Related Crimes
October 23, 2018 | BY
Jacelyn JohnsonChina recently established a trademark office in Shanghai as a platform for local companies to safeguard their brands against foreign imitation; China International Import Expo, gathering 2,800 enterprises from 130 regions to set up a dispute tribunal within venue; and the SPC is on track with the government's campaign to eradicate gangsters and organized crimes.
China Establishes Trademark Office to Safeguard Local Brands
A Shanghai Trademark Overseas Protection Office was established last week in what may seem as China's latest move to ensure Intellectual Property protection rights take center-stage in its rapidly developing economy. This is in line with China's ambition to internationalize its local brands.
According to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, although China has been long known for imitating foreign brands or products, little has been done about Chinese brands being copied by foreign imitators abroad, and Chinese trademarks being infringed upon overseas.
Shanghai's trademark registration has grown from just 2000 registered trademarks in 1978, before China's reform and opening up, to exceeding the whopping 1 million mark today.
The newly established Trademarks Office seeks to promote awareness among local companies of overseas trademark registration, and provide a platform to safeguard local brands against trademark infringements, guidance on international trademarks registration as well as training to ensure enterprises are aware of their brand protection rights in the international market.
More from CLP:
A Brief Review of SPC's Annual Report on Intellectual Property Cases (2017)
|A Dispute Tribunal for China's International Import Expo
The China International Import Expo (CIIE) which will be held from November 5 to 10 in Shanghai will see a dispute tribunal set up in its venue, with six judges and court staff familiar with international commercial disputes, said the Supreme People's Court of China.
The exhibition will gather more than 2,800 enterprises from across 130 countries and regions, including a number of Fortune 500 companies. According to Wu Xiaoguo, president of the tribunal, the establishment of a tribunal within the exhibition grounds is to show justice and transparency in Shanghai.
The tribunal will include a mediation and litigation center, with the aim to provide all parties involved, including exhibitors, visitors, customers, organizers as well as service providers with fast-track court procedures in the event of a dispute, or act as a one-stop legal service and case registration center, with facilities to submit evidence online.
Mediation institutions such as the Shanghai Commercial Mediation Center, the Shanghai Mediation Center of the China Chamber of International Commerce and the Xujing Town (CIIE) United Mediation Center will also be part of the tribunal, providing various services to suit the different needs of the parties.
More from CLP:
Third Internet Court for China
|China to Crack Down on Gang-Related Crimes
At the start of 2018, China began a campaign against gang-related crimes, and have since issued a couple of notices throughout the year calling for an emphasis on the rule of law to protect against gangsters and organized crimes.
In January 2018, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) issued a notice 'Concerning the Carrying Out of a Special Action to Sweep Away Black and Eliminate Evil,' targeting government officials who have been acting as “protective umbrellas” for the offenders, and gangs who have been trying to take control of political power at grassroot levels, offering bribe to gullible officials in return for protection.
President of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), Zhou Qiang, in a conference in Wuhan, Hebei province, on October 17 affirmed that the SPC in their judicial capacity are taking this campaign seriously and are already cracking down on gang-related crimes through court trials.
Zhou further stressed on the importance of the judiciary being equipped with knowledge and training to develop strategic guidelines to deal the judicial aspects of gang-related and organized crimes.
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