Macao adopts best intellectual property rights regime

Macao would continue to adopt the best intellectual property rights regime in line with international standards to further enhance its competitiveness in the region. The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen, said this today in a speech at the opening ceremony of a forum on ''Intellectual Property Rights and Trade''. ''Intellectual property and its protection have always been recognised as a basis to development and commercialisation of new ideas, products and technologies,'' he said. ''As an independent WTO member, the Macao SAR is strongly committed to uphold the rule of law and fulfilling our obligations in Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). ''The SAR Government has taken a series of measures to improve IPR protection in recent years. We have fortified our legislation and strengthened our enforcement against IPR pirates. ''Reflecting all these, the Macao Customs Service was awarded the 'Sixth Annual Global Anti Counterfeiting Awards' by the Global Anti-Counterfeiting Group in 2003,'' he said. ''However, IPR piracy still remains a problem in the region, so it will be indispensable for the SAR Government to sustain our enforcement mechanism and for our tribunals to deliver convictions that will eradicate future criminal activity. ''At this juncture, our current agenda is to intensify regional cooperation in IPR protection, in order to foster a better environment for investment and trade. ''In an effort to further enhance our competitiveness in the region, the SAR Government will continue to adopt the best intellectual property right regime in line with international standards,'' he said. The forum, co-organised by the World Intellectual Property Organization and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, is aimed at providing a platform for the international society to exchange ideas on intellectual property rights protection and how it affects international trade.