- Market in Beijing and the Ziyuangang Market in Guangzhou (Guangdong) as well-known retail and wholesale markets for pirated products.
- Shenzhen (Guangdong) and Shanghai did not achieve measurable reductions in retail piracy during a 100-day crackdown in 2006, according to an industry survey.
- Transfers of administrative trademark cases for criminal prosecution were especially rare in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Fujian, and Shanghai in 2005, according to official statistics.
- There were reportedly no transfers of administrative copyright cases for criminal prosecution in Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Fujian in 2005.
Background
USTR commenced the China SPR in June 2006 by seeking public comments on the locations and issues that should be reviewed. The information received was used to set initial priorities for the review and ensure that the most important locations and issues received appropriate attention. The United States asked commenters to bear in mind that the goals of the SPR include highlighting strengths, as well as weaknesses and inconsistencies, in and among specific jurisdictions. Six provinces emerged as the focus of industry comments and USG discussions: Beijing, Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Zhejiang. In February 2007, USTR received further public comments on these and other locations.
USTR is grateful to provincial officials in the five provinces just mentioned, as well as local officials in Chaoyang (Beijing), Dongguan (Guangdong), Hangzhou (Zhejiang), Nanjing (Jiangsu), Suzhou (Jiangsu), Ningbo (Zhejiang), Putian (Fujian), Shenzhen (Guangdong), Xiamen (Fujian), and Yiwu (Zhejiang) for agreeing to meet with U.S. Government delegations and explaining in detail their efforts to combat counterfeiting and piracy. On all of these visits, provincial and local officials uniformly expressed a commitment to providing strong protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
Province-By-Province Assessment
Beijing City is both the nation's capital and one of its most visible centers for retail counterfeiting and piracy. IPR enforcement in Beijing varies between different districts and authorities. To promote greater coordination, municipal authorities have established a working group on IPR, headed by a vice mayor, adopted an action plan, and opened an IPR complaint center. Beijing courts enjoy a generally good reputation, which contributes to Beijing having the nation's highest number of civil IPR cases.
Hot spots. According to industry reports:
- Retail and wholesale markets such as the Silk Market, Tianyi Market, and Yaxiu Market are associated with trade in counterfeit fashion, jewelry, sports, and apparel products.
- Chaoyang District authorities have agreed to enhance their cooperation with copyright owners.
- Local protectionism remains strong in Chaoyang District.
Retail and wholesale markets. Retail piracy and counterfeiting remain widespread in Beijing; progress in getting the problem under control has been very limited.
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