In recent years, trade fairs and expositions have been a priority area in IPR protection in GD. In 2006, IPR enforcement authorities such as IPOs, AICs and Copyright Bureaus dispatched law enforcement personnel to such major fairs and expos as The 99th China Export Commodities Fair (Canton Fair), the 100th Canton Fair, the 24th and 25th Guangdong International Beauty, Hairdressing & Cosmetics Expo, and the Third China Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Fair. The IPR enforcement authorities closely collaborated at those fairs in handling IPR complaints and disputes; they provided timely and effective protection for IPR, and were hence supported and highly commended by the organizers and participants of those fairs. In the two sessions of 2006 Canton Fair, the largest fair for foreign trade in China, they received and handled 1045 cases of IPR complaints, effectively protecting the interests of IPR holders.

The trade associations in GD, e.g. the GD Intellectual Property Protection Association (GDIPPA) and the GD Audio-Visual Distributors Association (GDAVDA), also actively took part in IPR protection, and provided infringement information for enforcement authorities. For instance, GDAVDA, in the last two years since its establishment, has prosecuted over 800 warehouses of pirated goods with enforcement authorities, hence enabling seizure of over 18 million pirated A/V products. As the number of pirated compressed DVDs grew, GDAVDA reported the threat to China Ministry of Culture and relevant authorities of GD; meanwhile, they coordinated its member enterprises to suppress piracy. The participation of trade associations in IPR protection played a great, positive role in promoting industry development, strengthening industry's self-discipline and rectifying market order. 

In 2006, IPR protection in trade fairs and associations of all GD municipalities also improved. In January, under the guidance of GD Provincial IPO, IPR Protection Association of Zhongshan Xiaolan Town was established, and across the year, the association strived to safeguard the IPR of its members. In October, Shunde Electric Pots Patent Alliance, the first patent union in China's electric appliances industry, was established, and that significantly improved patent protection of the electric pot industry in Shunde District. In the same year, Guangzhou Municipal IPO dispatched law enforcement teams to such trade fairs as International Lighting Equipment Fair, Decoration Products Fair, Automobiles Fair, Furniture Fair, Guangzhou Expo and more, and intensified IPR protection in all those fairs; for instance, Guangzhou IPO helped to set up an IPR Complaint Station in the Automobiles Fair for the first time, attracting extensive public attention.

Editor: Wing