CRI听力:China, US Discuss Intellectual Property

Intellectual property rights is one of the key topics which has been discussed during the S and ED.

As CRI's Dominic Swire reports, the two sides maintain a significant difference of opinion on the issue.

This is the American film 'Just Go With It' out now in Chinese cinemas. It's films like this that are getting harder to find on the black market thanks to the Chinese government's crackdown on pirated movies.

Over the last six months the government says it investigated more than 3,500 copyright infringement cases it values at more than 3 million dollars.

Despite this, the US remains unsatisfied. A recent report from the Office of the US Trade Representative identified China as one of the worst countries in the world for infringing intellectual property rights, or IPR. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has expressed regret about this claim and points out the country is serious about tackling copyright infringement.

Steve Dickenson is lawyer at Harris and Moure law firm and helps foreign firms operate in China. He recognizes the Chinese government's efforts but thinks they need to do more.

"One thing that frustrates me as a professional is when people say China's made no progress in IPR, and it frustrates the Chinese, too, because that's not true. On the other hand, China will remain on the watch list because of the copyright piracy. Because it's true, it's just a brutal fact."

As well as films, copyright infringement covers everything from fake clothing and mobile phones to pirated software. But some say western companies that complain about this are often at fault themselves for being ignorant about Chinese law. Edward Chatterton is a Foreign Legal Consultant at DLA Piper law firm in Hong Kong.

"What we frequently see is western brand owners not filing to protect their brand in China. Whether that's because they're simply dilatory in doing so or because they don't think there is any need to do so because they're only manufacturing in China and their main markets are in the west. But western brand owners need to be aware that that leads them open to a third party registering that brand for themselves."

The issue of copyright has long been a bone of contention between the US and China. Unless any major breakthrough is achieved in the strategic dialogues, it's likely to be a talking point for years to come.

For CRI, I'm Dominic Swire.