Nansha launches mechanism to protect intellectual property

The Agreement on the Collaborative Protection Mechanism of the Whole Chain of Intellectual Property Rights in the Nansha Area of China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone was signed on May 10 in Nansha.

The Nansha Court, the Nansha district science and technology bureau, as well as the Nansha district market supervision administration (intellectual property office), were among the eight units to sign the agreement. It formulates relevant measures regarding review and authorization, administrative law enforcement, judicial protection, as well as promotion of the rule of law.

In the past three years, the Nansha Court has concluded nearly 20,000 intellectual property cases. Among them, more than 90 of the cases involved trademark rights and copyright infringement disputes.

The agreement clarifies that all units should strengthen coordination and cooperation in the investigation and evidence collection in the process of administrative law enforcement and judicial case handling, as well as strengthen the supervision, investigation, and punishment of typical intellectual property infringements.

In terms of diversified dispute resolution, the agreement emphasizes giving full play to the functions of various dispute resolution resources, such as courts, administrative agencies, and industry chambers of commerce. It guides the parties involved in intellectual property disputes to actively choose non-litigation dispute resolution methods to handle intellectual property disputes.

The agreement also proposes that the relevant intellectual property supervision and law enforcement departments should use their professional advantages in the corresponding intellectual property field, as well as recommend their staff members to work as expert jurors or mediators in the mediation of intellectual property cases involving copyrights, trademarks, unfair competition, and trade secrets.

It is also proposed in the agreement that credit supervision and joint punishment mechanism be built for serious intellectual property violations. In addition, an intellectual property credit supervision mechanism and platform should also be constructed.

Nansha will put units or people on a "blacklist" for serious intellectual property violations, such as malicious repeated infringements, refusal to perform effective judgments, and illegal intellectual property agents. It will also inform related departments to jointly implement punishments in accordance with the law and regulations.

The Agreement on the Collaborative Protection Mechanism of the Whole Chain of Intellectual Property Rights in the Nansha Area of China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone is signed in Nansha. [Photo/China News Service]