The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Public Security has carried out a major crackdown on illegal activities related to intellectual property rights (IPR) in the past year, according to an official with the city's public security authorities.

In recent years, IPR-related crimes, especially those related to trademark ownership, have run rampant in China.

They infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of trademark owners and also consumers.

The Ministry of Public Security launched a year-long nationwide campaign in November to fight against IPR crimes.

The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Public Security has since launched a special action to solve major infringement cases and shatter organized groups. Liu Yi, director of the Economic Crimes Investigation Division of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Public Security, said: "On November 30, the division successfully unveiled a big counterfeit trademark case, the first IPR protection step since the campaign was launched." Zhou Zhijun, a native of Hubei, and three accomplices, all family members, manufactured copying paper under the trademark of "Qijian" or "Flagship" since 2001.

However, the "Qijian" trademark was registered to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce by the Yalong Paper Products Co Ltd, the largest paper products and stationery manufacturer in China.

The company makes many products including posters, packaging materials and stationery.

The manufacturing of counterfeit products under its trademark led to the firm losing one-third of its share of the market in Beijing in 2004. The case of Zhou Zhijun and his accomplices has been transferred to the relevant legal department.

District branches of the economic crimes investigation authorities have also cracked down on several major trademark ownership infringement cases around the city.

"Strengthening IPR protection and cracking down on IPR crimes will help promote a healthy economic structure and improve competition," added Liu. There are now plans to further crack down on IPR crime by strengthening co-ordination with other law enforcement departments.

(China Daily April 20, 2005)