Taiwan urged to raise intellectual property rights with China

Both ruling and opposition party legislators in the Legislative Yuan's Economics Committee passed a resolution during a committee meeting demanding that relevant executive agencies raise the issue with China.

Their decision was aimed at protecting the IPR of Taiwan's businesses at a time when many Taiwanese companies' trademarks have been pirated by Chinese businesses, legislators said, adding that the matter has become a chief barrier in cross-strait trade.

The fifth round of talks between Taiwan and China is scheduled to be held in the first half of 2010.

Lawmakers also asked that the IPR issue be discussed in advance during the fourth round of cross-strait talks between Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS). That round of talks will take place in December in central Taiwan's Taichung City.

During the legislative committee meeting's interpellation session, ruling Kuomintang Legislator Ting Shou-chung questioned Wang Mei-hua, director-general of Taiwan's Intellectual Property Office, on whether her office has contacted Chinese authorities concerning IPR infringement on Taiwan companies.

KMT legislator Lai Shyh-bao also expressed grave concern over the matter, saying that it has markedly affected Taiwan businesses' willingness to expand operations in the Chinese market.

Wang, however, was reserved about the suggestion, saying that it is not only up to her agency, but various other government agencies to decide when to raise the issue with China.

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