China refutes US allegation of IPR deterioration

Director of the General Administration of Press and Publication Liu Binjie told China.org.cn at a news conference in Beijing that China has made significant progress in IPR protection on the sidelines of the Diplomatic Conference on the Protection of Audiovisual Performances. Liu was responding to a U.S. report which claimed that little progress was made on IPR protection this year.

"We have noticed this report and made contact with the American Chamber of Commerce," Liu said.

In refuting the claims made in the report, Liu cited an initiative taken last year by the Chinese government. "In the second half of 2011, China launched a nationwide anti-piracy campaign to beef up China's IPR protection and the campaign has subsequently grown into a routine initiative."

The American Chamber of Commerce in China said in its 2012 Business Climate Survey that 79 percent of respondents rated China's enforcement of intellectual property rights as ineffective. The percentage of respondents who rated China's IPR enforcement as effective declined 9 points from last year.

Liu commented that China has made great strides in terms of combating software piracy and protecting copyrighted software. However he added that the illegal downloading of online video and audio materials was currently the most pressing issue facing China.

He also admitted that China must still address a number of problems, including the lack of public awareness regarding IPR, but he refuted claims that China's IP protection environment had deteriorated this year.

His statement echoed a speech delivered by State Councilor Liu Yandong at the opening ceremony of the diplomatic conference on Wednesday.

Mrs. Liu said that IPR protection in developing countries should be carried out in a methodical fashion.

The Diplomatic Conference on the Protection of Audiovisual Performances, which will take place from June 20 to 26, aims to adopt an international treaty to update the intellectual property rights of audiovisual performers.