04-21-2004, 11:43 PM
I was going to put this in the Who wants Hellfire thread but it is now locked so I thought I would start another to enlighten those of us whose American ideology blinds us to global realities. I was surprised to discover reading that thread that China has/had no copyright laws but I guess that logically follows from the Communist ideology's lack of personal property. Being someone who has broken all Ten Commandments (Abortion is murder according to my Catholic upbringin...) has given me first hand knowledge of why "Honesty is the best policy".
Anyway... I thought that this was good news and ought to be shared.
China Pledges Anti-Piracy Drive
Wednesday April 21, 6:12 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China has pledged to "significantly reduce" widespread piracy and counterfeiting of U.S. goods that cost American companies billions of dollars annually, a U.S. trade official said on Wednesday.
The official, speaking on the condition she not be identified, said China also has promised to conduct a "series of raids" aimed at shutting down Chinese companies that illegally copy and counterfeit U.S. goods.
The new commitments were the result of a high-level meeting on Wednesday between Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi and a team of senior Bush administration officials -- including U.S. Commerce Secretary Don Evans, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman.
"China has confirmed and presented an action plan with a stated goal ... to significantly reduce IPR (intellectual property rights) infringement," the U.S. official said.
Wu's team also promised other actions aimed at making it easier for American companies to do business, she said.
China intends to publish final regulations by July 1 -- or about six months ahead of schedule -- allowing U.S. companies to import and export in China without going through an intermediary, the U.S. official said.
In response to another U.S. concern, China has agreed to delay "indefinitely" proposed new encryption standards for wireless products that U.S. companies complain would have forced them to transfer technology to their Chinese competitors to make sales in the Chinese market.
China also said it would let the market decide on a technical standard for wireless cell phones, rather than choosing the standard itself, the U.S. aide said.
And in an area of special interest to Federal Express and United Postal Service, China agreed to drop a proposed standard that would bar foreign firms from delivering mail in China weighing less than 500 grams, compared to the current threshold of 350 grams, she said.
Anyway... I thought that this was good news and ought to be shared.
China Pledges Anti-Piracy Drive
Wednesday April 21, 6:12 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China has pledged to "significantly reduce" widespread piracy and counterfeiting of U.S. goods that cost American companies billions of dollars annually, a U.S. trade official said on Wednesday.
The official, speaking on the condition she not be identified, said China also has promised to conduct a "series of raids" aimed at shutting down Chinese companies that illegally copy and counterfeit U.S. goods.
The new commitments were the result of a high-level meeting on Wednesday between Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi and a team of senior Bush administration officials -- including U.S. Commerce Secretary Don Evans, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman.
"China has confirmed and presented an action plan with a stated goal ... to significantly reduce IPR (intellectual property rights) infringement," the U.S. official said.
Wu's team also promised other actions aimed at making it easier for American companies to do business, she said.
China intends to publish final regulations by July 1 -- or about six months ahead of schedule -- allowing U.S. companies to import and export in China without going through an intermediary, the U.S. official said.
In response to another U.S. concern, China has agreed to delay "indefinitely" proposed new encryption standards for wireless products that U.S. companies complain would have forced them to transfer technology to their Chinese competitors to make sales in the Chinese market.
China also said it would let the market decide on a technical standard for wireless cell phones, rather than choosing the standard itself, the U.S. aide said.
And in an area of special interest to Federal Express and United Postal Service, China agreed to drop a proposed standard that would bar foreign firms from delivering mail in China weighing less than 500 grams, compared to the current threshold of 350 grams, she said.