Semiconductor industry criticizes IP protection in China

Despite having laws to protect intellectual property (IP) in place, China falls short of enforcing these laws, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) said today. According to SIA president George Scalise, penalties for violation of IP rights in some cases are so light "that they are considered to be a routine cost of doing business."

A request to improve enforcement in certain Chinese regions was issued today United States, Japan, and Switzerland under the "WTO’s Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property." According to the SIA, the agreement demands enforcement procedures of IP rights that "permit effective action against any act of infringement of intellectual property rights."

The organization hopes that the international request will encourage Chinese officials to focus more on the protection of IP. "We are hopeful that a systematic collection of the penalties meted out for IP violations will pressure those regions within China where the penalties are insufficient to deter counterfeiting," Scalise said.