1. Beijing

Rise in prosecutions

Prosecutors across the nation approved the arrest of more than 12,700 suspects in nearly 7,000 cases involving intellectual property rights in the first nine months of the year, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

Over the same period, they filed charges against 18,696 suspects in 10,693 cases, increases of 150 percent and 168 percent respectively.

WWW.JCRB.COM.CN

2. Shandong

First online IP site

The Weifang intellectual property bureau has gone online with the province's first comprehensive IP service website.

It provides services including online consultation and free audio and video communication. Visitors can also send emails or leave messages to acquire information, report cases and lodge complaints.

It also provides copies of laws and regulations, case analyses and telephone numbers for government offices.

Before the website was established, local residents could only make a telephone call to solve IP problems.

QILU EVENING NEWS

3. Hunan

Plaudit for new plow

A plowing machine invented by two rural inventors caught the attention of Yuan Longping - the renowned agricultural scientist known as the "father of hybrid rice" - due to its innovative concepts and technologies.

The machine exhibited at a recent science and technology fair in the capital city Changsha can help rice better absorb nutrition in the plowed soil, while deeper furrows increase yields and improve quality.

Yuan invited the two inventors to join his research team working on higher yields.

They will fly to the national hybrid rice research center in Hainan in November with their patented machine.

CHANGSHA EVENING NEWS

4. Anhui

Counterfeit 3M film

The industry and commerce bureau of Maanshan said it recently seized a batch of car windshield film from a local auto shop that carried counterfeited Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co trademarks.

Chinese employees from 3M found the faked products during a regular check in March.

Attempts at solving the problem through negotiation failed, so they turned to the commerce bureau for help.

WANJIANG EVENING NEWS

5. Fujian

1 million yuan rewards

The government of the provincial capital Fuzhou recently unveiled plans to promote trademarks by offering 1 million yuan ($160,000) to local companies if they acquire a well-known trademark and 50,000-yuan awards for provincial level famous trademark.

The city government also established an annual fund of 2 million yuan to develop local brands and protect trademark rights. As well, famous local brands will have priority in government procurement.

FUJIAN DAILY

6. Taiwan

'Tsing' is not Tsingtao

Following a court appeal, a local trademark variant for Tsingtao Beer has been banned in Taiwan because authorities believe the name Tsing Beer could mislead consumers.

Taiwan Tsing Beer Co Ltd, the exclusive distributor of Tsingtao Beer on the island, applied for a trademark on the name, but it was revoked last year because the name "has a similar pronunciation to the term for draft beer in the local Taiwan dialect", according to a court ruling.

The company filed a lawsuit claiming that the name is just short for Tsingtao Beer, but the court ruled against the argument.

NANFANG DAILY

(China Daily 11/07/2012 page11)