First fruits of 2004 IPR judicial protection through enforcement of anti-unfair competition

January 10, 2005

First fruits of 2004 IPR judicial protection through enforcement of anti-unfair competition
With the increasingly deepening of IPR protection, it has become an international practice to protect IPR through enforcement of anti-unfair competition. China’s IPR protection is no exception. Much more, IPR protection through enforcement of anti-unfair competition here has Chinese characteristics. As market supervising department, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce listed IPR protection into the important contents of anti-unfair competition enforcement of this year to integrate law enforcement resources with investigation of major cases as breakthrough. The measure was extensively and highly appraised by well-known enterprises and consumers.

The Fair Trade Bureau of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce held three IPR special conferences in this year to deploy investigation of major unfair competition cases and protection of IPR of famous enterprises. Eighteen domestic and foreign enterprises whose IPRs were infringed became the important targets of protection. It is an uncommon phenomenon in the history of national fair trade enforcement.

In addition to integration of law enforcement resources, local administrative departments of industry and commerce also strengthened interlocal coordination and cooperation in establishing channel of communication, system of cooperative investigation and case transfer, so as to bring the overall enforcement efficiency of supervisory system of industry and commerce into full play; and they strengthened cooperative handling of cases with public security departments to upgrade the force of punishment.