Mainland, Taiwan Sign Agreement on IPR Protection

Chinese mainland and Taiwan negotiators signed an agreement on intellectual property rights protection here Tuesday.

The mainland and Taiwan will increase exchange and cooperation to boost protection of patents, trademarks, copyrights and plant variety rights (PVR), according to the agreement reached at the talks between the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).

The ARATS and SEF are authorized by both sides to handle cross-Strait issues.

The agreement aims to establish a long-term mechanism to fight the pressing problems of online piracy, patent imitation and preemptive trademark registration, ARATS President Chen Yunlin said Tuesday.

The two sides agreed to protect the priority rights of applicants from both sides based on the first filing application date of patents, trademarks and plant variety rights.

The two sides also agreed to accept applications for plant variety rights from either side and to negotiate for an expanded protection list of plant varieties.

According to the agreement, the two sides will set up a copyright verification system to boost cross-Strait copyright trade.

The two sides also agreed to coordinate enforcement to protect well-known trademarks and crack down on piracy and false labeling of agricultural products, among other issues.

The mainland and Taiwan will also organize IPR-themed exchange activities, including seminars, visits and training programs, according to the agreement.

Experts interviewed by Xinhua believed that the agreement would help solve cross-Strait IPR disputes and thus push forward cooperation especially in the cultural industry.

Kevin C. L. Chen, general secretary of the Taiwan-based Sheen Chuen-Chi Cultural and Educational Foundation, said that the agreement would provide a sound environment and mechanism for the cross-Strait cooperation in the cultural industry.