In 2006, GD customs improved law enforcement mechanism and intensified suppression of IPR infringement in import and export. In 2006, 636 cases of IPR infringement were seized, increasing 35.9 per cent. Through effective law enforcement, the foreign trade order and the legitimate rights of IPR holders were well protected.

In the year, GD customs improved IPR enforcement structure and personnel buildup. Customs of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Gongbei, Shantou and Huangpu set up special divisions of IPR protection. More than 30 training programs were carried out for law enforcement teams with sound outcomes; in the programs, representatives from GM, Disney, Nike, and some other companies were invited to brief on product identification.

In 2006, Guangdong customs made full use of diverse technologies to improve the veracity of seizing IPR infringement products. For example, Guangzhou customs accurately seized 32 consecutive cases of counterfeit cigarettes that infringed upon British American Tobacco brand names. Shenzhen customs seized 3 consecutive cases of game videos infringing upon Sony trademark Playstation 2, with 3,680 copies captured. Gongbei customs seized 16,316 printer cartridges infringing on Panasonic and Canon trademarks.

In addition, GD customs carried out special operations to crack down on IPR infringement in key areas. In 2006, as required by China General Administration for Customs, GD customs launched a six-month campaign to suppress IPR infringement through express mail service. In the year, 130 cases were seized, up 90 per cent, and counterfeit products of Adidas, Nike, LV, Chanel, Nokia and Sony were intercepted. Through those operations, IPR infringement through express mail service was effectively suppressed. In addition, based on the characteristics of import and export in certain periods, special operations and other measures were taken to prevent cross-border IPR infringement. For example, during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, GD customs intensified protection of FIFA and World Cup-related IPR. Altogether, customs of Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shantou seized nearly 140,000 items of trademarks and goods infringing on the IPRs of FIFA and the World Cup.

In 2006, GD customs' IPR protection was upgraded and hence widely commended by IPR owners. Daniel Christman, Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, sent a letter expressing his appreciation of GD customs achievements in improving IPR protection environment in China and worldwide.

Editor: Wing