More than 2 million trademarks have been registered officially - proof that IPR laws are having an effect, claims the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.

The rapid increase in the number of registered trademarks could be attributable to the improving condition of protecting trademarks, said the administration.

It has so far conducted three large-scale campaigns this year to better protect famous trademarks.

And more than 25,000 trademark infringement cases have been handled this year, with 3,488 cases related to foreign or overseas trademarks, said the administration, which announced 2.2 million had been recorded to date.

In Shanghai, "the municipal government has promised to better protect intellectual property rights (IPR)," according to Jiang Ping, deputy secretary-general of the city government.

Jiang made the promise over the weekend at the 2004 Shanghai International IPR Forum.

The forum discussed the relations between IPR and city's competitiveness, with more than 120 scholars, government officials and economists from China as well as Europe, the United States, Japan and Republic of Korea.

"The practice to protect IPR from infringement concerns whether the city is able to have a better business environment for investors," Jiang said.

His words were echoed by Chen Zhonghua, secretary-general of the State Intellectual Property Office, who said China will sum up the experiences gained from the overseas and domestic practices and seek ways to protect IPR in order to reinforce the city's competitiveness.

Chen said he hoped Shanghai will set a good example for other parts of the country, saying a city or a country should adapt it to the world's IPR development trend if it wants to get a foothold in the global economic competition.

"We wish for local governments to establish their respective IPR strategy to create a marketable, legal and educational environment for IPR protection," Chen said.

Shanghai has mapped out its strategy aimed at establishing an IPR protection system by 2010, which "will be satisfactory" with market economy law and international practices.

Under the strategy, an average million people will be required to invent 150 authorized patents annually by 2010, topping other cities.

(China Daily December 13, 2004)