1 Tianjin

Customs officials puts their foot down about counterfeit athletic shoes

Customs officials at Tianjin New Port confiscated 4,840 pairs of fake branded sports shoes in early May bearing the labels Nike, Adidas and Converse.

Officials have conducted 16 investigations into trademark infringement this year and seized more than 90,000 counterfeit items worth nearly $800,000 bearing the names of other global brands such as LV and Prada as well as the domestic trademark Chinkiang Vinegar, according to the customs office.

PEOPLE.COM.CN

2 Beijing

Typeface designers call for more protection of Chinese character fonts

Typeface designers and the Chinese Information Processing Society have proposed amendments to a draft of the Copyright Law now under public review, calling for more protection of Chinese-character computer fonts.

The fonts are a crucial part of the creative industry and help to popularize Chinese language and culture in the information era, experts said at a recent press conference.

CHINA CULTURE DAILY

New IP marketing and international strategy for China National Petroleum

With its total number of patent applications projected to reach 20,000 by 2015, China National Petroleum Corp has announced a new intellectual property strategy, especially in marketing and international operations, said Sun Longde, vice-president of its subsidiary PetroChina Co.

CNPC is expected to file more than 6,000 patent applications between 2011 and 2015, with 3,000 expected to be inventions. It also plans to double its overseas filings in the period.

ECONOMIC INFORMATION DAILY

3 Sichuan

Province's funding doubles for applications and industrialization

The provincial government has earmarked 6 million yuan ($949,668) to aid patent applications this year, up from 2 million yuan in 2011.

Government funding of patent commercialization has also more than doubled to 25 million yuan from 12 million yuan a year ago.

The move aims to increase both the quantity and quality of patents and advance the development of an innovation-backed province, local officials said.

Last year, more than 3,700 patent applications received financial support from local authorities and 136 projects using patented technologies benefited from provincial government funds.

CHINA INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY NEWS

4 Shandong

Qingdao organizes patent training for 80 local companies and institutions

The Qingdao intellectual property office began a patent training program at Ocean University of China in early May that attracted IP managers from about 80 local companies and institutions.

Experts from the State Intellectual Property Office and the Intellectual Property Publishing House interpreted policies, analyzed patent developments and summarized patent use in business operations.

SIPO.GOV.CN

5 Hubei

Fake Chateau Lafite wine sold at seven of nine outlets checked during raid

Enforcement officials seized 189 bottles of fake Chateau Lafite wine during a recent raid in the provincial capital Wuhan.

Of nine local hotels and wine stores checked during the operation, seven were found to be selling the counterfeit wine, which was purchased for less than 100 yuan a bottle and sold at prices ranging from 200 yuan to 2,000 yuan, officials said.

Experts advised consumers to ask retailers and hotels to show customs inspection documents as well as other certificates to prove the wine they buy is authentic.

CNHUBEI.COM

(China Daily 05/16/2012 page17)