Intellectual Property Protection as Economic Policy: Will China Ever Enforce Its IP Laws?

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The Congressional-Executive Commission on China held another in its series of staff-led Issues Roundtables, entitled "Intellectual Property Protection as Economic Policy: Will China Ever Enforce its IP Laws?" on Monday, May 16, from 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. in Room 192 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

All CECC hearings and Issues Roundtables are open to the public and the press. Members of the public who wish to attend do not need to respond to this message or otherwise register. News media representatives should see the final paragraph of this announcement.

Intellectual Property (IP) industries, which rely on IP protection for their revenues, significantly contribute to the U.S. economy and represent a growing portion of U.S. GDP. This sector includes not only the copyright industries such as motion pictures, musical recording, and book publishing, but also industries that rely on the value of their trademarked brands. It also includes patent industries such as the pharmaceutical industry and many manufacturing businesses.

The health of U.S. IP industries as well as the development of IP industries in China may depend on whether China continues its role as the largest producer of pirated products in the world or joins the ranks of nations protecting IP. This Roundtable examined the current crisis resulting from the lack of IP enforcement in China. Looking beyond the simple question of how much piracy and counterfeiting occur, we hoped to examine the policies that have created the current problems and assess whether they are likely to continue in the future. The witnesses explained the scope of the problem, analyzed its source, and assessed which strategies will advance IP protection in China.