1 Beijing

COFCO alleges counterfeit wine

China's biggest food processor and dealer COFCO recently sued an individual proprietor surnamed Zhao for allegedly selling wine with a copycat trademark of its well-known brand and asked for 30,000 yuan ($4,718) in compensation.

The suit alleges Zhao sold wine with the trademark Huaxiamingzhu, which the company contends is a counterfeit based on COFCO's Huaxia trademark.

Fengtai district court in Beijing has accepted the case.

CE.CN

2 Guangxi

Nation's top patent growth rate

The Guangxi Science and Technology Information Network recently said that the growth rate for invention patent applications in the autonomous region topped the nation in the first half of the year.

During the period, 1,986 invention patent applications were filed, a year-on-year increase of 96.4 percent, some 74 percentage points higher than the national average.

GX.PEOPLE.COM.CN

3 Shanghai

Inspections for genuine goods

Intellectual property offices and commercial federations from all districts in the city recently began inspections of enterprises that have vowed to "sell genuine goods and protect intellectual property".

During meetings about the inspections, local IP authorities said they better understood the progress made and gave guidance to help companies strengthen their efforts.

IP.NET

4 Fujian

Campaign at malls, supermarkets

Intellectual property offices in Fuzhou and Fuqing recently began a patent enforcement campaign at shopping malls and supermarkets.

The initiative covered nearly 100 kinds of commodities including electric appliances and daily necessities. Officials said they found 16 articles without standard patent identification and one with a forged patent mark.

IP.NET

5 Henan

Dual protection for agriculture

The Luohe intellectual property office and its agricultural bureau recently reached the city's first joint law enforcement agreement to safeguard the local seed, fertilizer and agricultural markets.

According to the agreement, the two agencies will carry out joint operations to prevent illicit agricultural materials from reaching the market.

IP.NET

6 Guangdong

1,950 tons of fake-brand cement

The industry and commerce bureau of Zhaoqing recently seized 8.25 tons of cement with counterfeited trademarks from a building materials factory.

The factory bought unbranded low-quality cement in bulk and packaged it in bags with well-known trademarks in the industry. It was sold to nearby building sites and in salesrooms with higher prices.

Police officials said the factory sold some 1,950 tons of fake-branded cement, generating an illegal profit of 500,000 yuan.

XJRB.COM

7 Taiwan

Two cross-Straits IP agreements

The Chinese mainland and Taiwan recently signed two agreements on investment and customs cooperation for protection of intellectual property.

Officials said the agreements aim to create a fair economic climate on both sides of the Straits by protecting the rights and interests of investors.

IP.NET

(China Daily 08/29/2012 page17)