China has issued a circular on intellectual property rights (IPR) protection for exhibits recently which will go into effect on March. 3, 2006.

The circular was jointly issued by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration for Industry of Commerce of China, the National Copyright Administration of China, and the State Intellectual Property Office.

According to the circular, the exhibition organizers should strengthen IPR protection of exhibits and the audit of exhibit IPRs.

An office should be established by exhibition organizers to handle complaints about the IPR if an exhibition is to be held for over three days, the circular said.

The circular also requires corresponding departments to accept and hear cases involving IPR infringement, including those for patents, trademarks, copyrights.

(Xinhua News Agency January 13, 2006)