Chinanews, Beijing, Nov. 21 - While China works hard to crack down on intellectual property rights (IPR) infringements, the country also take some humane measures to increase people’s awareness of the problem. The State Office of Intellectual Property Protection on Monday launched a hotline, 12312, at the country’s IPR protection and report service centers. As a measure to encourage citizens to participate in this social campaign, the office has invited some beauties to serve as the image spokeswomen for the hotline.
China has long been harassed by IPR infringement in the country. Over the past few years, European countries and the United States have exerted pressure on China in this regard, which has become a real headache for the government. In order to solve the problem, the Chinese government has resorted to every means possible. On the one hand, the government has launched a nationwide campaign, informing the public about IPR protection and established fifty IPR protection and report service centers across the country for people to report IPR infringements. It is hoped that in this way the government can raise the public’s awareness of the need to crack down on piracy. On the other hand, the government will pull no punches in imposing severe punishment against IPR infringements, once they are verified.
In 2005, the public security bureaus filed and investigated 1,799 cases related with IPR infringement, 52% more than those of the previous year. 1,470 of these cases were settled, up 46% from the previous year, and 2,119 suspects were arrested, a rise of 56% over 2004. The total value involved in these cases amounted to 1.28 billion yuan, 366% more than the previous year.
By inviting beauties to be the image spokeswomen for the IPR hotlines, and through public advertisements and the use of the Internet, the State Office of Intellectual Property Protection says it tries to improve people’s knowledge about the IPR protection and report service centers across the country as well as their hotlines.
