The Chinese government regards the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) as a national strategy and will show no mercy in its fight against infringements, said Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai on Tuesday.

 

Bo made the remarks at the fifth IPR Roundtable meeting between China and the United States. US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, as well as officials and businessmen from the two countries, attended the meeting.

 

According to Bo, in 2005, public security departments arrested 2,119 people involved in piracy, up 56 percent on the previous year, and the total sum of money involved was 1.28 billion yuan, up 366 percent.

 

Fifty IPR service centers have been set up to hear complaints from the public about IPR infringement. More than 15,000 complaints have been handled by the centers.

 

(China Daily November 15, 2006)