America's top prosecutor is visiting China this week to discuss co-operation with officials in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy.
Giving the keynote speech at the International Intellectual Property Summit in Hong Kong yesterday, US Attorney General Eric Holder said that certain countries were not doing enough to fight intellectual property infringement.
'The simple truth is that our chain of necessary and desired enforcement is only as strong as its weakest links. Let me be blunt: not every country, not every organisation has done enough. It is time to be clear, it is time to be honest about where we can - and where we must - improve.'
Holder travels to Beijing today to meet officials and discuss efforts to step up bilateral enforcement efforts, including Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and Standing Committee Member Zhou Yongkang.
Tomorrow, Holder will meet his Chinese counterpart, Justice Minister Wu Aiying, and Cao Jianming , procurator general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate of China.
'I hope we can work to identify the most pressing and perilous gaps in our enforcement mechanisms - and begin taking the steps required to close these gaps, strengthen IP protections and to fulfil the most critical obligations of public service: ensuring opportunity, fostering prosperity, and protecting the safety and health of our people.'
The mainland was the source of 79 per cent of all counterfeit products seized in the US last year, totalling US$204.7 million. While the bulk of pirated goods out of the mainland were fake shoes, clothes, jewellery and electronics, the manufacturing giant produced most of the potentially dangerous counterfeits seized last year.
