Stratic Advice on Intellectual Property Investment in Asia
苏冉
IssueⅠ: Legal framework of protection on software copyright in P.R.C and Singapore
A) P.R.C
In conjunction with China’s astonishing economic growth over the past two decades, especially after the entrance to WTO, China has steadily improved its legal framework on Software Copyright by checking and clearing large-scale regulations both in domestic and international activities.
Frankly speaking, China joined in three vital international treaties relate to copyright: the Berne Convention , TRIPs and Universal Copyright Convention. Moreover, China and US signed MOU especially for software in January 1992. All these Conventions are regarded as a milestone to reflect China’s dramatic promotion and strong determination to build a satisfactory environment for foreign software investors.
Similarly to US, P.R.C has chosen to protect software under copyright law rather than trademark, patent, or contract law. One year after Copyright Law Amendment in 2001, Chinese Council corrected its software-specific “Computer Software Protection Rules” , to deal with new problems prevailing in software protection nowadays. Under the Rule, software is defined as two particular types: computer program and their relevant documentation. Furthermore, since MOU came into force, computer software is protected as a literary work. Third, according to the conditional nation treatment here, foreigners are required to comply with “connecting factor”, to sum up, either first publication or nationality/residence of the author in China or in any of these countries ,between the work and China or a country who is a member of the WTO, or the Berne Convention. So, despite your software products first being published in US, you can still enjoy the original copyright and the legal protection on in China.
Except from the above rules, other laws also have supportive stipulation on the protection of software copyrights as follows:
(a)The General Principle of Civil Law, the country’s current basic civil law, has authorized the author’s copyright in general;
(b)The Criminal Code has a section of articles referring to piracy offences, with “Dual Punishment Principle” in front of copyright encroachment;
(c)The newly amended Foreign Trade Law (adopted in Feb).
B) Singapore
The general legal framework of software copyright protection in Singapore is almost the same as P.R.C, but with some characteristics of its own. Actually, different from P.R.C based on Civil law background, laws and litigations in Singapore are principally modeled on the English system under Common law system till nowadays. Pursuant to certain legal revolutions, modern copyright legislation contains the same international conventions as P.R.C: the Berne Conventions, Universal Copyright Convention, and TRIPs. But, Singapore signed ASEAN Framework on Intellectual Property Cooperation and the WIPO Copyright Treaty as a member of ASEAN. Turning to its domestic laws, the latest Copyright Act 1999(revised edition) is the principle one, with some other relevant regulations for enforcement. And it also definites software program into literary work under protection. In addition, Singapore owes large resources of case laws so as to make its legal conditions more particular than that in P.R.C.
The amended Act is first purposed to address issues arising from the use of copyright materials in a digital environment, especially provide legal certainty for the use of copyright in cyberspace. For instance, the extension of concept “reproduction” .Second, the Act plays another role in enhancing performer’s rights, offering two new defenses to allegations of copyright infringement. Therefore, merely surfing the Web doesn’t constitute software copyright infringement, if it’s necessary to browse. Even , Singapore passed the Electronic Transactions Act 1998 to give statutory protection of Network Service Providers. At these points, Singapore seemingly forwards a step further than P.R.C, declining its attention on encouraging the growth of a knowledge-based economy and promoting E-commerce and creative innovations. Last but the most significant point, Singapore and the United State signed a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) on May 6th 2003, and entered it into force from January 1st 2004. Virtually, this is the first FTA between US and an Asia country .So it’s doubtlessly the greatest advantage for Singapore to attract US investors, apart from other Asian countries. They would encourage the entrepreneurship, investment, job creation and growth in our own technology, science and creative industries as well as set the stage for Singapore’s emergence as a global IP hub.
Issue Ⅱ: Implementation on Software Copyright Law in P.R.C and Singapore
Sufficient and effective enforcement is more useful and practical than recorded documents, with no exception to P.R.C and Singapore.
(ⅰ)Role of Government
A)P.R.C
Learned from Annual Report on the Protection of Intellectual Property Right in China during the past 5 years by the head officer Jingchuan Wang in TableⅠ , you can see copyright administration at various levels make remarkable progress in encouraging innovation, promoting industrial development, regulating market order, and even improving the opening-up policy.
As a matter of fact, the People’s Courts, the People’s Prosecution Department, National Copyright Administration Centre and Public Security compose the backbone of the implementation of copyright law in China with civil remedies, criminal sensations and administrative punishments, such as fine. And border enforcement assistance to copyright owners by the Customs and Excise Department is also available.
TableⅠ:
The Administration on Software Copyright In P.R.C
Year Registration Prosecute Cases Resolved Cases Resolved Cases Rate Seized Pirates(M) Top 1 Region of Piracy
1999 1,041 1,616 1,515 93.75% 20.14 Shenzhen
2000 3,300 2,457 1,980 95.30% 32.60 Guangdong
2001 4,620 2,683 2,327 97.52% 61.75 Guangdong
2002 4,860 2,740 2,604 99.02% 67.90 Guangdong
2003 5,020 6,120 5,793 97.64% 73.28 Beijing
Statistics from NCAC (National Copyright Administration Centre
Fortunately, China has begun to regard software as an industry with strategic significance while formulating effective policies in areas including anti-piracy and anti-monopoly. To adapt to the legal framework, China has shifted its attention upon educating software users and strengthening the law. “Government departments are being asked to show a good example in using copyrighted software only and make software budget each year”. For example, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong buy over 3,000 software products every year through public bidding. What’s more, the National Software Government Procurement Regulation will probably act in the near future. Eventually, Chinese government is trying to treat all software companies equal in P.R.C, no matter domestic or foreign countries.
Nevertheless, given China’s vast geography and population, it would be an awesome task for the central government to manage pirating activities throughout the entire country. On the other hand, due to lack of resources, the lack of judicial expertise, the unpredictability of trial outcomes, and large costs, litigation in Chinese courts remains a risky and expensive response to Chinese copyright violations. Another administrative difficulty arises from the increasing decentralization of the Chinese government. Much of China's copyright enforcement takes place at the provincial and local levels; the national government lacks the resources and control to effectively monitor nationwide pirating activity and to impose national enforcement policies.
B) Singapore
Switching to Singapore, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) is its senior administration department, and it leads Singapore to the success in copyright infrastructure. Singapore has announced a number of meaningful standards through requirements for tough penalties to combat piracy and counterfeiting, including, in civil cases, procedures for seizure and destruction of pirated and counterfeit products, and a requirement to provide for statutory and actual damages to remedy such practices. There has been a rule in Singapore that government could only allowed to use copyrighted software since 1996. In order to obtain efficiency, Singapore maintain civil remedies and criminal penalties for circumvention of technology protection measures, and it also has in place implementation allowing for border seizures of infringing articles by customs officials. For example, the copyright infringement is punished with a maximum fine of S$100,000 or five years’ imprisonment or both. So, in comparison to P.R.C, the least time for imprisonment is shorter .But due to the judge’s free power under common law system, the court is increasingly harsh in their sentencing in respect of infringement of copyright. In other words, criminal obligation will become heavier with more limitation in Singapore.
In the contrast with Chinese administrative punishments, Singapore has a large scope of interlocutory remedies to fill in the blank area between civil remedies and criminal sensations, and they are three main types:
(a) the interlocutory injunction---It is an injunction obtained before the trail often with the main objective of maintaining the Stats quo between the parties pending the outcome of the trail. The interlocutory injunction may be in a mandatory or prohibitory form.
(b) the Anton Piller Order---It’s developed from Anton Piller KG v.Mfg Processes Ltd as a safeguard system of evidence for avoiding the defendant to destroy and hide the evidence of copyright infringement, if the plaintiff shows an extremely strong prima facie that his right are being interfered with, or the damage, potential or actual are very serious to the plaintiff, or even there must be clear evidence to proof the defendants faults.
(c) the Norwich Pharmacal Order.---The further expansion of Anton Piller Order to raise over the privilege against self-incrimination from Rank Film Distributors Ltd v. Video Information Centre Virtually . However, case law in Singapore has now established that where the privilege against self-incrimination exists, an undertaking from the plaintiff/ applicant not to use the information obtained in criminal proceedings is not an adequate safeguard for the defendant’s privilege against self-crimination. Singapore courts have also held that they don’t have the power to order that the information be inadmissible in any subsequent criminal prosecution.
Relying on common law foundation, people in Singapore prefer to a lawsuit rather than mediation while more mediation in P.R.C, once in the face of a dispute. Consequently, it would like to be more time and energy consuming somehow, for it costs at least one year of a civil procedure in the High Court of Singapore.
Last but not least, along with legsilation changes, Singapore Administration departments are also mounting a public campaign targeting both consumers and businesses to increase their awareness on the benefits and other implications of the new laws. There’s broad-based public awareness initiatives like the HIP Alliance’s year-long anti-piracy campaign? “The Real thing is the Right thing”, and brain Wave, Singapore’s first reality television show on IP.
(ⅱ)Role of Anti- Piracy Organizations
Both P.R.C and Singapore joined in Business Software Alliance (BSA) ,and WIPO several years ago and established domestic anti-piracy alliances at their own respective locality. The alliances played an active part in combating piracy and protecting the interests of right holders. They always declare laws, promulgate routine reports of current protection on TV, newspapers, and Website and show different points between pirate and authorized products. In the contrast with P.R.C, Singapore has other special disputes resolution organs under its common law system, including the small claims tribunals, E-commerce disputes centre. What’s more, Singapore collaborates with other ASAEN countries to harmonize IP rights with international and regional organizations such as the Office of Harmonization of the Internal Market (OHIM), the European Union, the French National Office of Industrial Property, and IP Australia.
(ⅲ)Introduction of Judgments in Precedent Cases
A) P.R.C
In a landmark verdict on April 16, 1996 against Beijing JuRen Computer, the Beijing No.1 Intermediate Court delivered judgment in favor of the Business Software Alliance (BSA) upholding the plaintiffs' intellectual property rights and ordering the defendant to (a) publicly apologize to the plaintiff; (b) pay over RMB600,000 (US$70,000) in damages, including court costs and accounting costs; (c) pay additional fines directly to the court. The court also ordered the defendant to undertake not to infringe intellectual property rights in the future, and the law enforcement officials to confiscate all computers and software seized during the raid on the defendant's premises. In another case, the same court rendered a judgment against Beijing Giant Computer Co. for software copyright infringement. These were the first cases decided in favor of a US plaintiff in a Chinese court.
曲靖市人民政府办公室关于印发《曲靖市农业产业化市级重点龙头企业认定和运行监测管理暂行办法》的通知
云南省曲靖市人民政府办公室
曲靖市人民政府办公室关于印发《曲靖市农业产业化市级重点龙头企业认定和运行监测管理暂行办法》的通知
曲政办发〔2004〕145号
各县(市)区人民政府,市直有关委、办、局:
《曲靖市农业产业化市级重点龙头企业认定和运行监测管理暂行办法》已经市政府研究同意,现印发你们,请认真贯彻执行。
二00四年六月二十五日
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曲靖市农业产业化市级重点龙头企业
认定和运行监测管理暂行办法
第一章 总则
第一条 为规范我市农业产业化市级重点龙头企业的认定和运行监测工作,搞好对市级重点龙头企业的服务与扶持,根据《中共曲靖市委 曲靖市人民政府关于加快农业产业化发展的意见》(曲发[2004]4号)精神,制定本办法。
第二条 农业产业化市级重点龙头企业是指以农产品生产、加工或流通为主。通过各种有效利益联结机制与农户相联结,带动农户进入市场,使农产品生产、加工、销售有机结合,相互促进,具有市场开拓能力,科技创新能力,在规模和经营指标上达到规定标准并经曲靖市发展农业产业化经营领导小组认定的企业。
第三条 农业产业化市级重点龙头企业的认定和扶持,围绕市农业六大主导产业、“双六”工程,以增加农民收入为根本出发点,按照实事求是、扶优扶强、突出重点、合理布局的原则,推进农业产业化经营发展。
第四条 农业产业化市级重点龙头企业的认定和运行监测工作遵循市场经济规律,实行竞争淘汰机制,发挥中介组织和专家作用,坚持公开、公平、公正、择优原则,不干预企业经营自主权。
第五条 凡申报或已获准为市级农业重点龙头企业的企业,适用本办法。
第二章 标准及申报程序
第六条 申报企业应符合以下基本标准:
(一)具有一定规模、效益,并能辐射带动农户增加收入的企业。
1.企业组织形式。以农产品加工或流通为主业、具有独立法人资格的企业。包括依照《公司法》设立的公司,其他形式的国有企业、集体企业、私营企业、股份合作企业、联营企业以及中外合资经营企业、中外合作经营企业、外商独资企业,直接在工商行政管理部门登记开办的农产品专业批发市场等。
2.企业经营的产品。企业中农产品加工、流通的增加值占总增加值70%以上。
3.加工、流通企业规模。固定资产规模1000万元以上,年销售收入3000万元以上。
4.农产品专业批发市场年交易额1亿元以上。
5.企业带动辐射能力。通过建立可靠、稳定的利益联结机制,带动农户数量一般应达到500户以上,促进农户增收40万元以上;企业从事农产品加工、流通过程中,通过订立合同、入股和合作方式采购的原料或购进的货物占所需原料量或所销售货物量的70%以上。
6.企业效益。企业的总资产报酬率应高于同期银行贷款利率,主营产品销售率达93%以上,企业不欠税、不欠职工工资、不欠社会保险金、不欠折旧、不亏损。
7.企业信用。主营产品符合国家、省、市的产业政策、环保政策和质量管理标准体系,能严格履行与农户、客户的契约。企业资产负债率一般应低于70%,银行信用等级在A级以上(含A级)。
(二)虽然企业规模不大,但有特色、有优势、有基础、有发展前景的成长型企业,具备以下条件的,也可纳入市级重点龙头企业加以扶持。
1.能充分发挥当地优势,引导资金、技术、信息、人才进农村,农产品和劳动力出农村,年销售收入300万元以上,其主要产品特色明显,并能迅速做大做强的企业、中介服务组织和专业合作社。
2.有较强的科技创新能力和可持续发展能力,年销售收入300万元以上,获得有机食品、绿色食品、无公害农产品、省级以上部门认定的高新技术产品认定的企业,能有力地促进和带动相关新产业形成,或是省级以上相关部门认定的示范企业。
3.鼓励具备进出口经营权的生产加工企业申报。企业积极开展对外贸易,产品市场前景好,年出口贸易30万美元以上,或连续三年出口创汇增长幅度达10%以上的,能形成带动面较大的特色产业。
4.围绕农民增收,在全市农业产业结构调整中,具有典型性、示范性、有创新的项目。
第七条 申报材料。申报企业应提供企业的基本情况,填写市发展农业产业化经营领导小组办公室(以下称市农业产业化办公室)统一印制的申报表。
第八条 申报程序
1.申报企业向所在地县(市)区农业产业化工作主管部门提出申请,主管部门与企业开户银行审核企业的资信情况;与县级以上税务部门审核企业的税收情况;与县级以上财政部门或有资质的中介机构审核企业的财务情况;与县级以上农经部门审核企业的带动能力和利益联接关系情况。相关部门要积极配合农业产业化工作主管部门对企业情况的真实性进行审核,共同搞好龙头企业的申报服务工作。
2.县(市)区农业产业化工作主管部门提出初审意见,报经县(市)区人民政府审定盖章后,按规定正式行文向市农业产业化办公室推荐,并附审核意见和相关材料。
3.市属企业可按以上1、2款申报程序申报,也可以由市级行政主管部门审定后由部门按规定正式行文向市农业产业化办公室推荐,并附审核意见及相关材料。
第三章 认定
第九条 市农业产业化办公室负责对各县(市)区推荐的市级重点龙头企业进行审查和对已认定企业进行监测评价工作。市级重点龙头企业认定和运行监测评价评分办法,由市农业产业化办公室牵头商有关部门提出,报市发展农业产业化经营领导小组审定。
第十条 市级重点龙头企业认定程序和办法。
1.市农业产业化办公室根据各县(市)区农业产业化工作主管部门上报的企业有关材料,按照市级重点龙头企业认定办法进行审查、评分,提出审查意见报市发展农业产业化经营领导小组认定。
2.经市发展农业产业化经营领导小组认定的企业,市人民政府发文认定的同时,授予“曲靖市农业产业化市级重点龙头企业”称号,颁发牌匾和证书,通过媒体公布企业名单。
第十一条 经认定公布的农业产业化市级重点龙头企业,享受市委、市人民政府制定的关于加快农业产业化发展的有关优惠政策,实行挂牌保护制度,未经批准,任何单位不准到企业集资、摊派和进行达标检查评比活动,并列入推荐为省级重点龙头企业的后备名单。
第四章 运行监测及管理
第十二条 对农业产业化市级重点龙头企业实行动态管理,建立竞争和淘汰机制。
第十三条 建立农业产业化市级重点龙头企业动态监测制度,及时了解企业的经营发展情况,并进行运行监测评价,监测评价情况作为对企业管理、考核、奖励、扶持、淘汰的依据。
第十四条 市农业产业化办公室定期对重点龙头企业的运行情况进行监测,检查扶持政策是否到位,企业发展环境是否优化,及时协调解决出现的新问题、新矛盾,全力以赴为企业做好服务工作。
第十五条 对已认定的市级重点龙头企业实行两年一次的监测评价制度,第一次监测是在企业被认定为市级重点龙头企业开始后的第三个年份。具体办法是:
1.农业产业化市级重点龙头企业在进行监测年份的次年1月底之前,应向市农业产业化办公室提出监测申请,并填报市级重点龙头企业基本情况监测表,市农业产业化办公室派专人到企业所在地,与企业开户银行审核企业的资信情况;与县级以上财政部门或有资质的中介机构审核企业财务情况;与县级以上税务部门审核企业的税收情况;与县级以上农经部门审核企业的带动能力和利益联接关系情况。相关部门要积极配合农业产业化工作主管部门对企业运行监测进行的审核,共同搞好对龙头企业的监测工作。
2.市农业产业化办公室对企业监测后,按照市级重点龙头企业运行监测评价评分办法进行评分,并对市级重点龙头企业的运行状况进行分析,提出意见上报市发展农业产业化经营领导小组。
3.市发展农业产业化经营领导小组对监测结果予以审定。
第十六条 监测合格的市级重点龙头企业,继续享受有关优惠政策;对监测不合格者,取消其市级重点龙头企业资格,不再享受有关优惠政策,市发展农业产业化经营领导小组以适当形式向社会公布监测结果。
第十七条 在不属监测的年份,市级重点龙头企业按农业产业化统计报表制度向各县(市)区农业产业化工作主管部门填报。
第五章 附则
第十八条 申报市级重点农业龙头企业的有关材料,不得弄虚作假。如果有舞弊行为,一经查实,已认定的企业取消其市级重点龙头企业资格;未认定的企业取消其申报资格。
第十九条 对在申报、认定、监测评价过程中不能坚持公开、公平、公正原则,存在徇私舞弊行为的工作人员,主管机关要按有关规定予以严肃查处。
第二十条 市级重点龙头企业更改企业名称,需要对其市级重点龙头企业称号予以重新确认,企业应出具工商行政管理部门的营业执照等更名材料,报曲靖市农业产业化办公室予以审核确认。曲靖市农业产业化办公室将企业更名情况通报曲靖市发展农业产业化经营领导小组成员单位。
第二十一条 本暂行办法由曲靖市发展农业产业化经营领导小组办公室负责解释。
第二十二条 本暂行办法自发布之日起施行。