Govt policy moves on IPR protection, audits for officials

Monetary penalties for IPR violations to be increased

The State Council called for better protection of intellectual property rights and concrete efforts to protect the legitimate rights of all types of market entities at an executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on July 17.

The country will intensify IPR-related law enforcement and ensure equal protection of the rights of all market players, a statement released after the meeting said.

The government will speed up efforts to formulate and improve the criteria for determining, checking and verifying infringements of patents, trademarks and copyrights. Special campaigns targeting IPR violations will be carried out, and severe punishment involving hefty fines will be meted out to combat infringements. International cooperation on IPR protection will be enhanced to make it easier for companies to register and protect intellectual property rights overseas, the statement said.

The government will push forward with revisions to the Patent Law, the Copyright Law and the Trademark Law, and monetary penalties for breaches of the laws will be raised significantly.

The meeting also called for continuous efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of IPR examination, with measures to accelerate the development of the smart system of patent examination and trademark registration. The time required for reviewing applications of high-value patents will be shortened to no more than 17 and a half months by the end of this year, and the average review period for trademark registration to no more than five months.

Economic audits for SOE managers, officials

China will beef up oversight of the responsibilities of government officials and State-owned enterprise managers to promote economic growth and prevent major economic risks, according to regulation published on July 15.

The regulation on the auditing of the economic obligations of officials and SOE managers was jointly issued by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.

The auditing will cover all government and Party officials from the township level up, as well as legal representatives of SOEs and enterprises, including financial institutions, in which State-owned capital holds a controlling or dominant position.

Economic responsibilities listed in the regulation include carrying out economic policies, promoting economic and social development, managing public funds, State-owned assets and State-owned resources, and preventing and controlling major economic risks.

Officials will be held accountable for acts resulting in the loss and waste of public funds, assets and resources, and those that harm the environment or otherwise damage public interests.

An accountability system will be established, and the auditing will serve as a reference in the evaluation, promotion, rewarding and punishment of officials.