Intellectual Property Issues Not to Be Politicized

Tian Lipu, director of the State Intellectual Property Office and a delegate to the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, answers questions of journalists in Beijing, China on October 18, 2007. (Xinhua Photo)

China's top intellectual property administrator said on Thursday that the Chinese government sincerely pushes forward IP legislation and law enforcement, but the attempts to politicize IP disputes are not acceptable.

Tian Lipu, director of the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), said IP disputes could be resolved in accordance with the Chinese IP legal system, which has been established since 1985 when China passed its patent law.

"The Chinese government is earnest to deal with IP disputes, particularly those between Chinese and foreign companies," said Tian, who himself has been a longtime patent examiner.

Talking about IP disputes between China and the United States, Tian said, "There is no irresolvable issue in the IP area if the rights and wrongs are judged only by laws."

"The Chinese law enforcement and judiciary branches protect legitimate rights for both Chinese and foreign companies," Tian said.

"We of course don't like the U.S. lodging complaints to the World Trade Organization," Tian said, "but we are not afraid of any resort to the WTO mechanism."

In recent years, U.S. giants General Motors and Pfizer had fierce disputes over IP protection in China for their best-selling products, Spark minicars and Viagra anti-impotence pills.

(www.chinaview.cn)