Major acts in recent days (07-10-08)

Sino-Swedish science

During the second Sino-Swedish Science Week 2007 in Beijing from September 17 to 19, the two nations agreed to establish a science center to deepen cooperation in fields where they can complement each other's knowledge.

The event, co-organized by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the Swedish Ministry of Education and Research, provided an opportunity for scientists and technicians to exchange research and development results.

The two sides also signed a series of memorandums of understanding to facilitate cooperation in new materials, energy, next generation telecommunication technology and biomedicine.

The Chinese and Swedish governments also renewed technology cooperation agreements first signed in December, 2004.

Geographical name protection

An official from the Ministry of Civil Affairs said it is urgent for China to protect ancient geographical names with historical and cultural value.

"Geographical names that have been passed down orally in the past centuries preserve people's recognition and thinking connected to their natural and cultural environments," said Liu Baoquan, director of the Institute of Geographical Names under the Ministry of Civil Affairs. "They are also part of the valuable properties of mankind."

But many geographical names in China are disappearing due to rapid economic and social development.

The Ninth United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names held in August agreed to make geographical names a part of intangible cultural heritage.

Lower plant protection fees

The National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance issued a circular announcing reduction by about 45 percent in fees charged for protection of new plant varieties from September 1.

The move aims to enhance competence in domestic forestry and agriculture, and to encourage seed breeders to play a greater role in the market.

New plant variety protection is the prime impetus to boost the development of agricultural and forestry. Costs for new plant variety protection in China is higher than some developed countries, but prices of new plants on the domestic market are lower than the international level, resulting in comparatively fewer new varieties of plants protected in China.

PGI product rights

The number of protected geographical indication (PGI) products in China will exceed 1,200 and have an estimated product value of 800 billion yuan during the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-10), according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine .

Chinese authorities have awarded PGI status to nearly 700 products, including Jinhua Ham, Pingyao Beef and Wuyi Tea. More than 6,000 enterprises - whose products range from alcohol, tea, fruit, traditional handicrafts and medicinal herbs to marine products - are eligible to use PGI labels.

China has established a relatively sound protection system for PGI products, including legal protection, professional evaluation, quality controls, a testing system and prevention from counterfeiting to protect the quality and reputation of such products.

Woo's copyright woes

John Woo's new movie, the War of the Red Cliff, a popular story of a fierce battle from the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, has encountered problems in selling its copyright in North America.

The producer of the movie recently said the movie's copyright for the European market has been sold, but he is still looking for a buyer in North America.

Unlike Heroes or Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, in which Chinese martial arts figures prominently, the War of the Red Cliff is a historical movie about war, which makes buyers in the United States less confident to buy it until they see the finished movie, the producer said.

Sino-Korean cooperation

A proposal for the establishment of a Sino-Korean cooperation in copyright trading and protection was made during the Third Sino-Korea Copyright Seminar held on September 18 in Beijing.

The proposal aims to strengthen exchanges between copyright agencies and enterprises and promote cooperation in core industries including books, music, movies, television, cartoons and online games.

Bilateral copyright trading became more active after the two nations signed an agreement on copyright protection last year, says to Wang Ziqiang, a senior official from China National Copyright Administration.

Well-known trademarks

The China Trademark Office and the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board under the State Administration for Industry and Commerce has accredited 197 well-known trademarks this year.

Among the total, 183 are for goods and 14 are from service sectors and many of them, such as Xinhua Bookstores, are already familiar to consumers

Some 182 of the total were registered by enterprises from the mainland, one from Hong Kong, two from Taiwan Province and the remaining 12 by foreign companies.

Textiles agreements

The French textile industries union says it has signed two draft agreements with its Chinese counterparts, the China National Textile and Apparel Council and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles, to foster intellectual property and curb counterfeiting.

The parties agreed to pressure authorities in an effort to reduce the time required and costs of patenting brands, designs and models.

They also agreed to assist one another to ensure the protection of IPRs, as well as to liaise with their respective legal representatives.