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| China is mulling a series of steps to strengthen protections against IP theft (AFP Photo/CHANDAN KHANNA) |
China's top court will rule on intellectual property cases for the first time from January 1, the government said, elevating the handling of an issue that has become a key complaint in the trade war with the US.
Washington
and Beijing are currently in talks to resolve a bruising trade spat that has
spooked markets worldwide. The two sides imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on more
than $300 billion worth of goods this year, before agreeing to a 90-day truce
on December 1.
The United
States, along with the European Union, has long complained about lax
enforcement of intellectual property rights in China. Forced technology
transfers have been another major bone of contention for foreign companies
operating in China.
Deputy
Chief Justice Luo Dongchuan said Saturday that from the start of 2019 the
Supreme Court would begin handling appeals on intellectual property rights
cases, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Such cases were previously
handled by provincial-level high courts.
The move
will "help prevent inconsistency of legal application and improve the
quality and efficiency of trials," Luo said.
China is
mulling a series of steps to strengthen protections against IP theft. IP
includes intangible creations like patents, trademarks and copyrights.
The
country's patent law is being amended to increase the compensation amount by up
to five times.
Another
draft law presented at a recent meeting of China's legislature, the Standing
Committee of the National People's Congress, allows victims of intellectual
property theft to sue for damages.
China's
legislature also announced it is looking at a new law governing foreign
investment that would prevent the forced transfer of technology and give
foreign firms the same privileges as Chinese companies.
Chinese
courts heard a total of 213,480 IP cases in 2017 -- 40 percent more than in
2016 and double the number heard in 2013, Xinhua reported.
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