（一）中国的知识产权执法渠道

　中国的知识产权执法保护有行政和司法两个平行的渠道。权利人在被侵权时可以向法院起诉，也可以向知识产权主管机关申诉。

　用行政手段保护知识产权是中国知识产权执法的一个重要特色。根据专利法的规定，国务院有关主管部门或地方人民政府可以设立专利管理机关；为有效实施著作权法，中国政府专门成立了国家版权局，各省市、自治区、直辖市和较大的城市也建立了版权行政管理部门；根据商标法的规定，商标管理实行中央统一注册，地方分级管理的原则，从中央到省、市、地、县级的工商行政管理局，都设有商标管理机构；另外，1995年6月，中国海关总署设立了知识产权边境保护处，全国各海关也指定了本地区内负责知识产权保护的主管部门和联系人。因此，知识产权权利人除通过司法途径外，还可以通过这些行政途径保护其知识产权。对于侵犯知识产权的行为，权利人可以向行政主管机关申诉，行政机关也可以依职权进行查处；知识产权行政主管机关可以在查处过程中对侵权物品进行查封和扣押，可以采取停止侵权的禁令、罚款等救济手段。由于行政程序在打击侵权方面速度较快，费用较低，受到知识产权权利人的欢迎。

　在司法方面，中国各级法院已经建立起专门负责审理知识产权案件的审判庭；在诉讼中，法院可以采取财产保全和证据保全的临时措施；对于民事侵权行为，人民法院除可以依法责令侵权人承担停止侵害、消除影响、道歉、赔偿损失等民事责任外，还可以对行为人给予没收非法所得、罚款、拘留等制裁；构成犯罪的，依法追究其刑事责任，中国《刑法》规定，对知识产权犯罪最高可以判处7年有期徒刑。

　（二）中国知识产权执法的新成果

　近年来，中国政府对知识产权的执法倾注了极大的人力和物力，严厉打击各种假冒伪劣、侵权盗版的行为，取得了引人瞩目的成绩。（见表3、表4、表5）

　1996年至2003年10月，中国境内已破获非法光盘生产线163条。2003年8月，在海关总署、新闻出版总署开展的“销毁走私盗版光盘大行动”中，一次就销毁走私盗版光盘4200万张。

　值得指出的是，中国各级地方政府已经对知识产权保护对于经济发展的促进作用有了充分认识，基本破除了对本地假冒侵权企业的地方保护主义，积极采取跨地区的行动对假冒侵权行为进行打击。中国环淮海经济区、华东三省一市、东北三省都建立了商标执法网络，这些网络对行政执法行为的跨地区协调和配合发挥了一定作用。同时，各执法部门还注意加强相互间的协调配合，如中国知识产权司法、行政部门已建立了相应的联席会议制度，开展了积极有效的合作。

　实践证明，通过各机关的执法工作，有效地打击了侵犯知识产权的不法行为，切实保护了知识产权权利人和消费者的合法权益，改善了市场经济环境、维护了公平竞争的市场经济秩序。

（三）最高人民法院、最高人民检察院公布的《关于办理侵犯知识产权刑事案件具体应用法律若干问题的解释》

　为进一步加大对知识产权的刑事司法保护力度，有效打击侵犯知识产权犯罪，维护市场经济秩序，不断提高中国知识产权的法律保护水平，根据中国刑法的有关规定，从惩治侵犯知识产权犯罪的实际需要出发，最高人民法院和最高人民检察院于2004年12月8日公布了《关于办理侵犯知识产权刑事案件具体应用法律若干问题的解释》（以下简称《解释》），该解释已于2004年12月22日施行。

　此次公布的解释对侵犯知识产权犯罪具体适用刑事责任的标准做出了详细和明确的规定，降低了知识产权刑事处罚门槛，扩大了知识产权刑事保护的范围，明确了相关专业术语，集中解决了各地办理此类案件在法律适用方面的疑难问题，提高了相关刑法条文的可操作性。

　在起草过程中，司法机关广泛征求了国内相关企业、主管部门的意见并就有关问题先后多次、多渠道、采取多种方式听取了中国外商投资企业协会、欧盟委员会、商业软件联盟、中国商业软件联盟、美国电影协会、中国美国商会、美国信息产业机构等行业协会和部门的意见。可以说，《解释》的起草过程是一个广泛征求意见的过程，尤其是对有关国家和跨国企业的意见给予了充分的关注，这是以前起草司法解释从未有过的。

　司法解释的出台，是适应发展社会主义市场经济建立完善知识产权法律制度的要求，也是切实履行中国对国际社会的庄重承诺、树立良好国际形象的司法举措。《司法解释》的出台实施将有助于中国知识产权执法和审判水平的提高，有利于加大打击侵犯知识产权犯罪的力度，提高知识产权刑事保护水平。
　　
　　（四）中国政府实施政府软件正版化

　为更好地履行国际承诺，推动中国的软件知识产权保护工作，中国国务院于2000年发文，要求政府机构和国有企业使用正版软件。2001年，为了全面贯彻国务院文件精神，国家版权局、原国家计委、财政部和信息产业部联合发文，要求政府机关和国有企业必须使用正版软件，并建立定期检查制度。中国政府已在中央国务院系统进行了清理和检查，并于2002年5月前完成了使用软件正版化工作。目前中国政府正在重点推进地方各级政府严格执行国务院有关规定，并取得了重要进展。

　（五）国家保护知识产权工作小组、与外商投资企业定期沟通协调机制以及保护知识产权专项行动

　1、国家保护知识产权工作小组
　　2004年8月，为加强知识产权保护方面的组织领导，国务院调整充实了国家保护知识产权工作小组，国务院副总理吴仪同志任组长，国务院法制办、公安部、商务部、工商总局、新闻出版署（版权局）、海关总署、知识产权局等12个部门为成员单位，负责统筹协调全国知识产权保护工作，督办重大案件。

　自2001年全国整顿和规范市场经济秩序领导小组办公室成立以来，多次开展集中整治侵权盗版等危害市场经济秩序的行动。2001年，在领导小组的协调指挥下，工商、质检、卫生、农业、药监等行政执法部门共出动执法人员890多万人次，取缔制售假冒伪劣商品窝点50多万个，立案查处120多万起，案值164亿多元。

　2、与外商投资企业定期沟通协调机制
　　为了进一步改善外商投资环境，加大打击侵权和假冒伪劣商品的工作力度，保护知识产权，中国政府于2003年建立了“政府部门与外商投资企业定期沟通协调机制”。该机制由全国整顿和规范市场经济秩序领导小组办公室牵头，公安部、商务部、海关总署、工商总局、质检总局、新闻出版总署、食品药品监管局、知识产权局、最高人民法院、最高人民检察院和中国外商投资企业协会组成，主要负责定期与外商投资企业互相沟通情况，了解他们在打击假冒商品，保护知识产权，改善外商投资环境，维护统一开放、公平有序的市场秩序等方面反映的问题、提出的意见和建议，并协调组织有关部门进行研究。通过这一机制，各执法部门与外商投资企业加强了打击侵权方面的合作，取得了明显的成效。

　3、保护知识产权专项行动
　　为争取我国保护知识产权工作取得更明显成效，国务院决定，从2004年9月至2005年8月，由国家知识产权工作组牵头在全国范围内组织开展保护知识产权专项行动，对重点领域、重点环节、重点地区的知识产权保护进行专项整治。这充分显示了中国知识产权保护的立场和决心。今年8月19日和8月27日，国务院先后召开了国家保护知识产权工作组会议和全国保护知识产权专项行动电视电话会议，吴仪副总理到会并作讲话，对保护知识产权专项行动做出了指示和部署。

　这次保护知识产权专项行动，按照“全国统一领导，地方政府负责，部门指导协调，各方联合行动”的工作格局，由国家保护知识产权工作组组织领导，各地区、各部门具体实施。专项行动中，将突出重点领域、重点环节和重点地区，以点带面，全面推动。所谓重点领域，就是商标权、著作权、专利权的保护；重点环节就是货物进出口、各类展会和商品批发市场、定牌加工、印刷复制等等；重点地区是指制假售假相对集中的地区。行动中，以知识产权权利人反映强烈、情节严重、影响恶劣的重大侵权案件作为突破口，积极行动，狠狠打击侵犯知识产权的违法犯罪分子。此次专项行动，将把盗版光盘和商标侵权作为重中之重进行打击，特别是把繁华商业区、涉外宾馆饭店、交通中心等作为重点，继续严厉查处非法光盘生产线，扫除贩卖盗版光盘的游商小贩；继续做好各级政府使用正版软件的督查工作，使督查工作制度化，经常化，及时纠正出现的问题；重点规范北京、上海、天津和东南沿海地区以及各地较大的商品交易市场，严厉打击商标侵权行为。国家保护知识产权工作组确定北京、上海、天津、河北、内蒙古、辽宁、江苏、浙江、安徽、福建、山东、河南、湖南、广东、陕西等15个省、自治区、直辖市为此次专项行动的重点地区，专门研究部署，采取有力措施，进行重点整治，并严防反弹。为保证专项行动的顺利进行，各有关部门各司其职，协同配合，强化地方政府责任，形成统一、高效、协调的保护知识产权执法协作机制，开展区域联合执法，切实加强知识产权保护，查处知识产权侵权案件，防止地方保护。为了保证此次专项行动的切实有效，国家保护知识产权工作组和相关部门还组织了六个督导组，分别奔赴各有关区域，重点监督指导专项行动的实施情况。

附件：
　　表3：2001年全国各知识产权执法机关执法数据统计表

　　表4：2002年全国各知识产权执法机关执法数据统计表

　　表5：2003年全国各知识产权执法机关执法数据统计表

　　V. Status Regarding China’s Enforcement of IPR

　　1. Enforcement Channels of IPR in China
　　There are two parallel approaches adopted in the enforcement of IPR protection in China, namely, administrative and judicial measures. In case of the infringement, the right holder may either file a lawsuit or apply to competent authorities for administrative measures.

　　Protecting IPR through administrative means is an important feature of the enforcement of IPR protection in China. According to the Patent Law, the relevant authorities under the State Council or local governments can establish a patent administration organ. To effectively implement the Copyright Law, the National Copyright Administration is set up at China’s central level and local administrations in this regard can also be found in various provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, and even in relatively big cities. Pursuant to the provisions of the Trademark Law, trademark is managed with the principles of registration at central level and administration by local organs. Trademark management organs are included in the administrations for industry and commerce at various levels from state, province, city (prefecture) to county. In addition, China General Administration of Customs set up a Border Protection Division for IP protection in June 1995 and all the local customs administrations also designated the teams and contact persons responsible for IPR protection within their own areas. Therefore, the right holder can protect his or her rights through the above administrative approaches in addition to judiciary means. As for acts infringing IPR, the right holder can complain to the competent administrative authorities and the above authorities can also investigate and handle cases in light of their duties. During this process, they can seal up, sequester infringed goods and take such remedies as order of stopping infringement and fines. On account of its rapid crackdown on infringement and low cost, administrative measures are very popular with right holders.

　　As far as the judiciary aspect is concerned, special judicial tribunals for IP cases have been established at courts at all levels in China. During the process of litigation, a court can take such temporary measures as preservation of evidence or property. In case of torts, the people’s court, in accordance with the law, can not only order a tort-feasor to undertake such civil liabilities as infringement cessation, negative influence elimination, apology, and loss compensation, but also give him or her such punishments as illegal income confiscation, fines, and detention. In the event of an intellectual property crime, an intellectual property wrongdoer will be given a penal punishment in accordance with the law. As prescribed by the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China, a criminal in this regard can be sentenced to a seven–year imprisonment as maximum penalty.

2. New Achievements Regarding IPR Enforcement in China
　　In recent years, the Chinese government has devoted huge manpower and material resources to IPR enforcement in severely cracking down on counterfeiting and pirating, and attained remarkable results. (See Tables 3, 4 and 5)

　　From 1996 to Oct. 2003, China seized 163 illegal CD production lines. In Aug. 2003, 42 million smuggled and pirated CDs were destroyed once during the Campaign for the Destruction of Smuggled and Pirate CDs carried out by the Customs General Administration and the State Administration for News and Publications.

　　It is worth noting that the Chinese governments at all levels have fully realized the promoting role which IPR protection can play in China’s economic development, basically removed protectionism for their local enterprises involved in counterfeit and infringement, and positively taken cross-region actions to crack down on counterfeiting and pirating. Enforcement networks of trademark have been established in Circular Huaihai Economic Zone in China, one city and three provinces of East China, and three provinces of Northeast China. These networks play a certain role in the cross-region coordination and cooperation of administrative enforcement. In the meantime, relevant enforcement authorities also pay attention to strengthen their mutual coordination and cooperation. For example, a corresponding joint conference system has been instituted between China’s judiciary and administrative organs of intellectual property, and a positive, efficient cooperation has been obtained.

　　Practice proves that illegal acts infringing IPR have been successfully abated, the lawful rights and interests of right holders and consumers have been protected, the market economy environment improved, and the market economic order of fair competition maintained via the enforcement of various authorities.

3. Interpretations by the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate on Several Issues of Concrete Application of Laws in Handling Criminal Cases of Infringing Intellectual Property
　　In accordance with the pertinent provisions of the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, out of practical need for punishing IPR infringement crime, promulgated the Interpretations on Several Issues of Concrete Application of Laws in Handling Criminal Cases of Infringing Intellectual Property (hereinafter referred to as Interpretations) on Dec. 8, 2004 to further strengthen criminal judicature protection of intellectual property, effectively crack down on intellectual property infringement crime, maintain market economic order, and constantly improve legal protection level of intellectual property in China. The Interpretations went into effect on Dec. 22, 2004.

　　The Interpretations give detailed and definite stipulations regarding the standard for concrete application of criminal responsibility for intellectual property crimes, lower the threshold of penal punishment for intellectual property, expand the range of penal protection in intellectual property, determine terminologies concerned, thus resolve difficult issues of law application by local enforcement, and enhance the maneuverability of relevant articles in the Criminal Law.

　　During the process of drafting, the judiciary organs extensively solicited opinions of pertinent domestic businesses and authorities in charge and listened to those of industry associations and departments such as the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment, EU Commission, Commercial Software Union, China Commercial Software Union, U.S. Film Association, China American Chamber of Commerce, and U.S. Information Industry Organization through many channels and means for many times. In a word, the drafting of the Interpretations was a process during which views were widely sought. In particular, sufficient attention was given to the opinions of the relevant countries and multinationals, which had never occurred previously in such drafting process.

　　As a judiciary measure, the promulgation of the Interpretations is to meet the demand to develop socialist market economy and improve the legal system of intellectual property, and to practically keep China’s serious commitments to the international community and set a good international image. It will be beneficial to the enhancement of domestic enforcement level of intellectual property and that of trial in this regard, to the intensification of crackdown on IPR infringement crimes, and to the improvement of the penal protection of intellectual property.

　　4. Use of Legitimate Software in Government by Chinese Government
　　To better fulfill its international commitments and promote the IPR protection for software in China, the State Council issued a document in 2000, requiring governmental organs and state-owned enterprises to use legitimate software .To comprehensively carry out the order of the State Council, the NCAC, former State Planning Committee, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Information Industry issued a joint document in 2001, requiring governmental organs and state-owned enterprises to use legitimate software and establish a regular inspection system. To this end, the Chinese Government has conducted a check among various ministries and departments of the State Council. It had completed the work for using legitimate software before May 2002. At present, the Government is concentrating on promoting governments at local levels to strictly implement relevant provisions of the State Council and has made a significant progress in this aspect.

　　5. National Working Group on IP Protection, the Mechanism of Regular Communication and Coordination with Foreign Investment Enterprises and Nationwide Special Campaign for IPR Protection
　　1). National Working Group on IP Protection
　　To strengthen the organization and leadership of IPR protection, the State Council adjusted and reinforced the National Working Group on IP Protection in August 2004. Vice Premier Wu Yi of the State Council has been appointed as head of the Group, and the 12 authorities comprising the group include the Office of Legislative Affairs of the State Council, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the National Copyright Administration, the State Food and Drug Administration, the General Customs Administration, the Ministry of Information Industry, the State Intellectual Property Office, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate. It is responsible for the unified planning and coordination of national intellectual property protection, and supervision of handling important cases.

　　Since 2001 when it was set up, the National Office of Rectification and Standardization of Market Economic Order has launched many concentrated campaigns to punish acts of harming market economic order such as infringement and piracy. For instance in 2001, the administrative enforcement authorities such as those for industry and commerce, quality supervision, inspection and quarantine, health, agriculture, and drug administration, under the direction and coordination of the Office, sent enforcement personnel 8.9-million persons/times in total, destroyed over 500,000 dens for counterfeiting and inferior products, investigated and handled more than 1.2 million cases with their value amounting to 16.4 billion RMB.

　　2). the Mechanism of Regular Communication and Coordination with Foreign Invested Enterprises
　　In 2003, the Chinese Government constituted the Mechanism of Regular Communication and Coordination with Foreign Invested Enterprises to further improve the foreign investment environment, reinforce crackdown on infringement, fakes and inferior products, and protect intellectual property. With the National Office for Rectification and Standardization of Market Economic Order taking the lead, the mechanism includes the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Commerce, Customs General Administration, State Administration for Industry and Commerce, General Administration for Quality Inspection, State Administration for News and Publications, Supervision Bureau for Food and Medicine, State Intellectual Property Office, Supreme People’s Court, Supreme People’s Procuratorate, and China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment. It is mainly responsible for regular communication with foreign investment enterprises and for getting information about problems and suggestions in terms of cracking down on the counterfeit goods, IPR protection, improving foreign investment environment, and maintaining a unified, open, fair, competitive and orderly market, and organizing and coordinating departments concerned to study them. Through the mechanism, the enforcement authorities intensify their cooperation in infringement crackdown with foreign investment enterprises and have attained remarkable results.

　　3). Nationwide Special Campaign for IPR Protection
　　In order to achieve more concrete results, the State Council decides to launch a nationwide special campaign led by the working group from September 2004 to August 2005. The campaign will focus on the key subjects, key links and key regions. This campaign fully reveals China’s position and determination to protect intellectual property. On Aug. 19 and 27, 2004, the State Council successively convened a conference of the Working Group for IP Protection and a video and telecommunication conference for nationwide special campaign for IPR protection, at which Vice Premier Wu Yi gave a speech, making directive and arrangements for the campaign.

　　Led by the Working Group on Intellectual Property Protection, this campaign will be implemented by local governments and departments under the working pattern featuring uniform leadership by central government, responsibility held by local governments, guidance and coordination by relevant departments, and joint action by all parties involved. During the campaign, key areas, linkages and regions will be priority so as to promote protection work in all fields and regions. The so-called “key areas” refer to the protection of trademark right, copyright and patent. The “key linkages” refer to the import and export, exhibitions, wholesale markets, OEM, printing and duplication business, etc. The “key regions” refer to the regions where the counterfeiting and piracy are rampant. Besides, the major counterfeiting and piracy cases with serious consequences will be smashed in a forceful manner. The campaign gives its top priority to pirate CDs and trademark infringements. Especially focusing on prosperous business districts, foreign-visitor-oriented hotels, and traffic centers, the campaign continues to severely crack down on illegal CD production lines and peddlers selling pirated CDs, to supervise governments at all levels in using legitimate software so that supervision can be conducted on an institutionalized and regular basis and problems will be rectified in time, to especially regulate large commodity markets in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, coastal areas of Southeast China, and the rest of the country with a view to severely striking trademark infringements. The working group listed 15 regions as the key areas in the campaign, including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Henan, Hunan, Guangdong, Shanxi and etc. Local authorities carried out forceful measures to ensure the effectiveness of the actions and to prevent the infringements from reappearing. All the administrative bodies as well as local governments assumed more specific responsibilities, and formed a unified cooperation mechanism for IPR protection. Moreover, cross-regional enforcement was implemented to strengthen the protection and fight against local protectionism.
To guarantee the success of the special campaign, the Working Group on IP Protection and the relevant departments have organized six supervision groups to especially oversee and direct the implementation of the above operation in regions concerned.

Table 3: the Enforcement Statistics of Relevant IPR Enforcement Organs of China in 2001

Table 4: the Enforcement Statistics of Relevant IPR Enforcement Organs of China in 2002

Table 5: the Enforcement Statistics of Relevant IPR Enforcement Organs of China in 2003