知的財産：日中両政府が専門チーム設置 保護へ体制作り

(Mainichi Japan) June 4, 2009
Japan, China agree to set up working team to address intellectual property violations
知的財産：日中両政府が専門チーム設置　保護へ体制作り

In a bid to combat the flood of imitations of Japanese products in China, the Chinese and Japanese governments have agreed to jointly set up a working team to discuss intellectual property rights and seek solutions to problems.
　日本製品の模倣品が中国で大量に出回るなどの事態を受け、日中両政府は、知的財産の保護や問題解決に向けた体制作りを話し合うワーキングチーム（ＷＴ）を合同で設置することで合意した。

It is the first time for Japan and China to establish a framework for discussions between the two countries specifically addressing intellectual property rights, including such issues as imitation goods and trade mark violations.
模倣品や商標登録の侵害など知的財産権全般について、日中間で専門の協議への枠組みを設けるのは初めて。

Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshihiro Nikai and Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming are expected to exchange memorandums on the working team during high-level Japan-China economic talks to be held in Tokyo on Sunday. The working team is expected to hold its first meeting this year, with participation from the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and other related government bodies from both countries.
７日に東京で開かれる「日中ハイレベル経済対話」の際、二階俊博経済産業相と陳徳銘商務相が設置の覚書を交わす。【犬飼直幸、赤間清広】

Up until now, even if Japanese companies sued Chinese business over intellectual property problems, repeated violations had occurred, and court action did not lead to a fundamental solution to the problem.
　知的財産権の問題ではこれまで、侵害を受けた日本の企業などが中国側企業を個別に提訴しても、再犯が繰り返され、根本的解決に結びつかなかった。

Intellectual property rights are handled by several government ministries and offices in both countries, and it is hoped that holding a meeting in a single location will make cross-sectional discussions on intellectual property possible.
ＷＴは年内に初会合を開き、経産省や中国の商務省など両国の関係省庁が参加。知的財産権の窓口は、両国の複数の省庁にまたがるため、一堂に会することで横断的な協議が可能になる。

Since joining the World Trade Organization in 2001, the Chinese government has stepped up efforts to protect intellectual property rights, but calls have been made for further countermeasures as methods of producing imitation goods become more sophisticated.
　中国政府は、０１年の世界貿易機関（ＷＴＯ）加盟を契機に知的財産権保護の強化に乗り出しているが、模倣品製造の手口が巧妙化するなど対策が求められる。

In the area of trademark registration, China's trademark law forbids the registration of widely known area names, but there are endless applications for registration of names like Yokohama and Matsusaka-gyu (a famous type of beef in Japan).
商標登録でも、中国の商標法では広く知られた地名などの登録は禁じているが、「横浜」「松阪牛」といった名称や、それに類似した商標の無断申請が後を絶たない。

Aomori Prefecture's objection to "Aomori" as a registered trademark was settled after close to five years of negotiations, but soon afterward similar trademarks surfaced, and the situation appeared to be a game of cat-and-mouse.
　「青森」の文字が登録申請された青森県の場合、５年近い交渉で異議申し立てが認められたが、直後に類似した別の商標が見つかるなど、いたちごっこが続く。

"Even if businesses or local bodies filed lawsuits or took similar measures, there was a limit to how far it could go, as it involved a lot of time and money, and the companies being sued often didn't implement corrective measures," said a high-ranking Japanese government official commenting on the situation.
　政府高官は「企業や自治体では訴訟などを行ってもコストや時間がかかり、相手側の企業が改善策を行わないことが多く限界があった」と説明する。

Through the working team, it is hoped that Chinese authorities will boost surveillance of illicit business, and plans will be advanced to maintain a system under which disputes can be settled quickly, with increased support for companies and local bodies that have been subject to damage.
　ＷＴには中国当局も巻き込んで不正への監視を強化し、紛争の早期解決に向けた体制整備を進め、被害を受けた企業や自治体に対する支援を強化する狙いがある。

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　◇知的財産権
　特許権や実用新案、商標、デザインの意匠権といった工業所有権に、著作権やノウハウなどの無形資産を加えた総称。経済のソフト化に伴い、競争力の源泉として重視されるようになり、近年では地名や地域ブランドを保護する動きも広がっている。政府は０２年に「知的財産基本法」を成立させるなど保護・強化に力を入れ、模倣品などの問題を改善するため、体制の遅れが目立つ新興国に是正を求めている。

毎日新聞　2009年6月4日　東京朝刊