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志愿服务立法研究/柏耀平

作者:法律资料网 时间:2024-07-03 14:05:21  浏览:8969   来源:法律资料网
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志愿服务立法研究
柏耀平

摘要:志愿服务有其存在和发展的内在价值,由于我国缺乏必要的立法保障,在社会运行中存在很多问题,在全国范围内对志愿服务进行统一立法的时机已经成熟。本文通过对志愿服务的基本特征、社会现状、立法原则和立法建议几个方面对我国志愿服务的立法进行初步探索。
关键词:志愿服务;志愿者;立法;社会保障;合同
中图分类号:D926 文献标识码:A

志愿服务行为是一种是基于道德、良知、社会责任等因素,自愿贡献个人时间和精力,为社会提供服务的无偿行为。志愿服务在我国的现代化建设的进程中具有举足轻重的地位,为我国志愿服务的实践提供法律保障是当务之急。
一、志愿服务概述
志愿服务是人类文明发展到一定阶段的产物,起源于十九世纪西方国家宗教性的慈善服务。二战以后,很多西方发达国家已把志愿服务纳入到本国政府的宏观调控之中,通过一系列的政策制度来规范志愿服务。志愿服务就是志愿者组织或志愿者个人无偿地服务于人民群众生产、生活、安全和其他有利于社会发展的行为。这种行为具有以下几个基本特征:
1、志愿服务的自愿性
志愿者进行志愿服务必须是出于自愿选择,而非受第三人或外界的强制,这样才能使志愿服务与一般的国家机关或社会组织的职务行为区分开来。虽然目前大多数的志愿活动都是由政府或社会组织发动的,但作为志愿者个人而言都是有选择是否参与的权利的。志愿服务不能作为一种义务而强加于任何社会成员。因此,自愿性是志愿服务区别其他社会行为的首要前提。
2、行为的无偿性
志愿者活动的动机是非营利趋向的,不以物质报酬为目的,明显区分于追求个人利益最大化的经济行为。这就保证了志愿服务的本质是奉献社会、服务社会。我国部分地区将志愿者提供的志愿服务的时间和内容都登记在“储蓄存折”上,并一等量的免费服务为回报。这实际上体现了一种劳动服务关系,将有形的劳动从时间和空间上分离开来,是一种变相的有偿行为,不应该作为志愿服务立法的调整范围。
3、志愿服务的社会性
志愿服务体现的是一种人与人之间的社会关系。它不是存在于个人生活的私人领域,而是在一定的公共空间和特定的人群当中进行他助或互助。公共福利和社会公益是志愿服务的价值目标,也是衡量志愿服务的社会价值性和有用性的评判标准。
4、志愿服务成本的自给性
志愿服务必须是运用自己的知识、时间和精力,服务成本个人化,但不排除必要的社会协助以维持志愿服务的有效开展,这体现志愿服务的本质是一种自我奉献。
志愿者就是自愿地为社会和他人提供服务和帮助的人,是志愿服务宗旨和目的的实现者,是志愿服务的行为主体。志愿者组织是从事志愿服务的公益性社会组织,包括志愿者协会、志愿者服务站、志愿者服务队等等。随着志愿服务进一步规范化,志愿者组织将使用统一的名称,它是一个相对稳定的社会组织,是志愿服务的名义主体,志愿者在参与志愿服务时必须以所在志愿者组织的名义进行。没有参加志愿者组织的志愿者不在立法的调整范围之内。
二.我国志愿服务现状
1993年底,共青团中央决定实施中国青年志愿服务。同年12月,2万多名铁路青年率先打出了“青年志愿者”的旗帜,从那一刻起,中国的志愿服务事业走上了发展之路。1994年成立中国青年志愿者协会,到2000年,已经形成了全国性协会、36个省级协会和2/3以上的地(市)级协会及部分县级协会组成的志愿服务组织管理网络,青年志愿者成为我国志愿服务的主力军。全国累计已有8000多万人次的志愿者向社会提供了超过40亿小时的志愿服务.[1] 我国的志愿服务起步较晚,但其发展很快,目前已具相当规模,对促进社会文明、增进人民福利、促进经济发展等方面起着越来越重要的作用,并受到国家及各级政府的高度重视。由于我国的志愿服务尚处于初级阶段,各项规章制度还很不健全,志愿服务的顺利开展受到种种限制,志愿者的合法权利不能得到保障。大致可以概括为以下几个方面:
1、志愿者与服务对象之间的关系不明确
在参与社会服务时,志愿者与服务对象之间的权利义务关系不明确主要表现在以下两个方面:第一,服务对象往往把志愿者作为无偿劳动力而滥用,如在2001年杭州西湖博览会上,有些公司让志愿者干活到晚上10点钟才让其回家;[2]第二,有部分志愿者把志愿服务当作是对他人的一种施舍,影响到服务态度。志愿服务作为社会公共资源,不能被一部分人作为无偿劳动力而独占,志愿者的劳动和人格应该受到尊重。志愿者和服务对象之间应该是一种平等的服务与被服务的关系。
2、志愿服务的规范性程度低
我国志愿服务尚处于初级阶段,相应的法律法规较少、效力等级低,都是地方性法规,而且原则性的东西多,可操作性不强,从而导致志愿服务具有很大盲目性、随意性和无序性。志愿者往往是没有通过专门的培训直接上岗,在很多情况下缺乏相应的专业知识或技能,这不但影响到志愿服务的质量,而且可能危及到志愿者的人身安全,特别是在从事技术性较高危险性较大的志愿服务。
3、志愿者组织缺乏必要的经费
目前,我国志愿者组织的经费主要是通过会员交纳一定的会费以及社会的捐助,经费来源不稳定,并且严重不足。志愿者在参与社会服务时,自己要承担全部的费用,这不仅也使志愿者的权利难以得到保障。尤其是当志愿者在为社会提供服务时,由于不可抗力的原因或者由于意外事件,造成人身伤害或财产损失,应该由谁来承担补偿责任,是值得重视的问题。如可可西里丧生的两位环保志愿者,其家属应从哪里得到这笔应得的抚恤金呢这是一个及待解决的现实问题。
4、社会上对志愿者不理解不支持的现象比较严重
很多志愿者在参加志愿服务时遭到了单位和家庭的反对。一方面是由于单位从本单位的局部利益来考虑,担心人才流失;另一方面也是由于缺乏法律政策的保障,很多志愿者由于参与了一段时期的志愿服务,从而错过了晋升、分房、评职称的机会,甚至是连工作也没了,这无疑使有志于志愿服务的人热情锐减,思想上有顾虑有包袱。[3]
以上种种现象严重损害了志愿者的基本权利,影响了志愿者的服务热情,严重影响了志愿服务的发展,不利于志愿者队伍的发展壮大。要解除志愿者的后顾之忧,要提高志愿服务的质量,使志愿服务走上有序的发展道路,立法无疑是最有效的手段。
三、志愿服务立法原则探析
1、有条件的社会共同责任原则
在现代社会环境中,所有的社会成员都面临着疾病、年龄、失业、环境恶化等多方面的社会风险,并因这些社会风险给生活带来了不舒适,并因这些社会风险产生的原因在很大程度上是由社会因素引起的,对社会成员的生存和生活造成了威胁。这种风险完全由个人来承担是不可能的,也是不公平的,尤其对社会弱者。这就需要全体社会成员相互帮助,有条件地共同分担社会风险。因此,具有一定行为能力的社会成员都有参与志愿服务的义务。通过强制性的社会立法,使全体社会成员都成为志愿服务的参与者和受益者。社会风险在一定条件下由全体社会成员共同承担。通过对部分社会成员的特别保护来达到对全体社会成员的共同保障。[4]从而维持社会的稳定,推动社会的全面进步。
2、志愿服务的水平与我国的国情相适应
西方发达国家志愿服务的起步较早,程度较高,各项规章制度也比较完善,而我国的志愿服务从上世纪90年代才逐步发展起来的,还处于初级阶段。因此对我国的志愿服务的立法必须立足国情,与我国的经济发展水平相适应。立法要确定的服务对象、服务项目无不受经济发展水平和国情的制约。现阶段我国东西部地区的经济发展极不平衡,人力资源的分布也很不均,生态环境十分脆弱,生物多样性锐减等等,无不制约着我国经济发展和社会进步。我国的社会保障虽然取得了举世瞩目的成就,但资金不足、效益不高等一系列问题使得我国的社会保障体系还存在很多缺陷。我国的志愿服务应立足于国民经济的发展、公共福利的提高和社会的可持续发展。
3、坚持社会公平与提高经济效益兼顾原则
当前我国志愿服务的主要对象是残疾人、老年人、优抚对象和其他特殊困难需要救助的社会成员,即社会弱者。[5]为社会弱者提高生活上的帮助、科技方面的支持,使特殊困难的社会成员重新面向生活、走上社会。在一些西方发达国家,社会保障制度比较完善,但高福利制度体现了形式上的“公平”却牺牲了经济效益。志愿服务要为社会弱者“造血”,而不是“输血”,防止社会弱者过度依赖社会劳动者。同时,国家应对志愿者采取一定的鼓励政策,为其工作、生活等方面提供一定的优惠措施,给志愿者一种道义上的补偿,实现社会正义的动态平衡。
四、关于志愿服务立法的几点建议
1、建议把志愿服务纳入社会保障体系
我国目前的志愿服务和社会保障体系具有很大的互补性,在理论根源和社会功能上具有相当的一致性。不少欧美发达国家已把志愿服务纳入到本国的社会保障体系之中,可以为我国的立法提供借鉴。社会保障是为了缓和经济结构而造成的收入分配或生活需求性资源分配不公平而设计的一种社会再分配方案。[6]社会保障作为现代国家法体系的重要组成部分,其主要的义务承担者是国家,但国家并不是唯一的义务角色。除此之外,社会及其成员也负有使每一位社会成员“继续生存下去”的责任或义务。[7]社会福利是社会保障的一个重要组成部分,是国家和社会为保障和维持社会成员一定的生活质量,满足其物质和精神的基本需要而采取的社会保障政策以及所提供的设施和相应的服务。[8]社会福利是以提高公民生活质量为目的的社会保障制度,特别是着眼于保障妇女、儿童、老人和残疾人等弱势群体的基本生活,改善这些社会群体的生活状况。[9]志愿服务以扶贫济困为主题,以社会困难群体为主要扶助对象,而社会困难群体主要是社会弱者。《山东省青年志愿服务规定》第五条,青年志愿服务的重点对象是社会弱者,即残疾人、老年人、优抚对象和其他特殊困难需要救助的社会成员。由此可以看出,志愿服务在社会功能和服务对象方面与社会保障有惊人的相似之处,为志愿服务纳入到社会保障体系之中,作为社会减压的一支重要力量提供理论前提。其次,我国的社会保障体系还存在资金不足、内容有限、覆盖面狭窄和服务保障薄弱等问题,[10]社会保障体系还很不完善。在市场经济条件下,竞争机制所形成的优胜劣汰必然会造成部分劳动者推出劳动岗位,从而使其本人和家庭因失去收入而陷入危机。社会经济领域按利益最大化的原则运作,不能完全顾及到社会弱者的利益。政府保证的是公民普遍权利,从最普遍意义上关怀公民的现实生活,不可能照顾到公民生活的方方面面。于是市场机制和政府机制之间出现了一定的“剩余空间”。[11]这些都需要志愿服务来满足社会弱势群体在物质文化方面的需求。志愿服务作为社会保障体系的一支重要力量,为生活苦难的群体提供社会服务,无疑给社会保障注入了新鲜血液,必将对我国多层次达的社会保障体系的完善作出积极的贡献。再者,现阶段我国的志愿服务的一个突出问题就是资金不足,这就严重影响了志愿服务的顺利开展。社会保障的资金来源是单向的,主要由国家和社会来负担。将志愿服务纳入到社会保障体系中,由国家财政支助志愿活动,必将推动我国志愿服务蓬勃发展。
2、明确志愿者组织的法律地位
《广东省青年志愿服务条例》把青年志愿者组织定性为社会团体法人,以明确志愿者组织的法律地位。笔者认为这种定性具有不合理性。社会团体法人作为法人的具体类型必须满足法人的一般构成要件,其中最重要的一点就是要有必要的财产或经费。[12 ]这是法人作为独立的民事主体、独立进行各项民事活动,独立承担民事责任的基本前提。所谓必要是指法人的财产或经费应与法人的性质与规模等相适应,能保证法人这一主体在社会中独立有效运营。[13]目前,我国志愿者组织存在和发展的最大问题,就是资金严重缺乏,并且来源很不稳定。志愿者组织主要依靠会员交纳会费和社会各界的捐助来获得资金。这种途径获得经费的与志愿者组织参与的社会服务的性质、范围和规模是极不相适应的,远远满足不了志愿服务顺利开展的需要。因而志愿者组织不具备开展活动、承担责任所必需的经费,是不符合社会团体法人的构成要件的,因而志愿者组织只是一种公益性的社会组织。
志愿者组织是从事志愿服务的非营利性的公益组织,非营利性决定了志愿服务不以物质报酬为目的,这是志愿者组织在组织活动时其经费来源缺乏保障的重要原因,尤其是在组织大型的公益活动以及对志愿者进行培训时更显得捉襟见肘。笔者认为志愿者组织在开展活动时可以根据服务对象的社会性质以组织的名义必要的成本费用,但这种费用不能分配给志愿者,以维持志愿者组织的生存和活动的顺利开展,这并不影响志愿服务的非营利性这一基本特征。其次,志愿者组织只是一个中介机构,是名义上的主体。志愿者才是志愿服务真正的参与者,是实际上的行为主体。比如在为大型企业进行活动宣传时志愿者组织可以收取必要的成本费用,但参加科技扶贫、环境保护等公共性的活动就不能收取费用。
当前我国志愿服务的组织机构十分混乱,没有统一的名称。有志愿者协会、志愿者服务站、志愿者服务营、志愿者服务队等等,很不规范。应该对志愿者组织的名称进行统一规定,便于管理和开展活动。笔者认为,现阶段我国的志愿者组织应该由共青团统一组织和指导,因为共青团有一套强大的服务组织网络,并且志愿者行动最先由共青团组织开展起来,长期以来积累了丰富的经验,具有强大的凝聚力和号召力。
3、建议设立志愿服务储备基金
志愿者参与的服务都是自愿无偿的,没有通过活动赚取利润,不能通过内部机制解决志愿者组织的活动经费问题。志愿者参与培训、开展活动都需要大量的经费,尤其是由于不可抗力的原因或以外事件造成志愿者重大财产损失和人身伤害后,如何去保障志愿者及其家属的合法权益?志愿者组织经费不足,民事责任能力严重缺陷。最近可可西里的环保志愿者出现人身伤亡后,志愿者组织根本无力承担责任。就此,笔者认为国家和政府有必要为志愿服务设立专项储备基金,解决志愿服务的资金短缺问题。专项基金由国家或政府财政开支,并由专人负责统一使用。志愿服务归入社会保障体系,由国家提供必要的财政支助,必能使志愿服务有效的开展下去,发挥更大的社会效益。
4、由志愿者组织为志愿者提供相应的人身保险
天有不测风云,人有旦夕祸福。天灾人祸不期而遇给人以致命的打击,使人生活恐惧不安,使家庭陷入困境,生活难以为继。志愿者在参与社会服务,尤其是一些带有很大危险性活动如环境保护、抢险救灾、维护治安等。这种危险不是个人能承担的,只能由国家或社会来分担。社会保障就是通过国家的介入,聚集社会力量、保护社会成员的生活安定[14]。志愿者在参与志愿服务时,也应将其纳入到社会保障法的保护范围。社会保险是社会保障的主要内容,以存在不确定的危险为条件,以志愿者提供的各种服务的性质来看,为其提供相应的保险具有必要性。志愿服务具有无偿性,在志愿服务时主要威胁到志愿者的身体健康(如身体的伤害),甚至是生命安全,志愿者组织应当根据服务的内容为志愿者提供相应的人身保险,在志愿者确实发生意外事故或造成重大财产损失时,能获得相应的补偿或赔偿,达到切实保障志愿者的各项权益的目的。为志愿者提供相应的人身保险并不与设立专项储备基金矛盾,前者是社会对志愿者的意外损害进行补救,而后者是解决志愿者组织内部的责任分担问题。通过两种保障机制的共同运作,使志愿者的权利真正落到实处,必将极大的提高志愿者的积极性。
5、明示志愿者组织与服务对象之间的权利义务关系
在社会调查过程中,存在一个不容忽视的社会现实,即在志愿服务时,志愿者组织与服务对象之间的权利义务关系不明确。尤其是在环境保护,维护治安等公益事业方面,志愿者的服务对象有很大一部分是国家的有关机关或职能机构。当志愿者参与这种志愿服务时,可以享有哪些权利,应当履行哪些职责是一个值得探究的问题。比如志愿者协助交通警察维护交通秩序,对违规人员是否有行使处罚权,在执行任务时能否擅离工作岗位等,其不当行为又应当如何追究责任,这一系列的问题都有待于进一步明确。笔者认为,志愿者在提供志愿服务时,志愿者组织可以和服务对象通过契约的形式,将其中的权利义务关系加以明确化,以便志愿者更好地服务社会。
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2012年中国法院知识产权司法保护状况(英文)

最高人民法院


2012年中国法院知识产权司法保护状况(英文)


Content

Introduction

Adjudicated according to Law, and Focused on Delivery of Justice
Served the Needs of Socioeconomic Development, and Implemented the National Intellectual Property Strategy
Increased adjudication supervision and guidance, and ensured consistency in application of law
Bolstered the foundation of Basic-Level Courts, and Strengthened the Adjudication Team

Conclusion



Introduction

   In 2012, the people’s courts have advanced judicial operations in the protection of intellectual property rights. Adjudication of intellectual property-related disputes has taken to new heights.
   Several major events relating to the judicial protection of intellectual property have taken place as follows:
Wang Shengjun, President of the Supreme People’s Court, presented the Report on Strengthening Intellectual Property Adjudication to Advance the Building of an Innovative Country at the Thirtieth Session of the Standing Committee of the Eleventh National People’s Congress, elaborating the people’s courts activities relating to intellectual property adjudication since 2008;
The Supreme People’s Court (SPC) has issued judicial interpretations Provisions on Issues Relating to the Application of the Law in Adjudicating Civil Disputes Arising from Monopolistic Behaviour, the Provisions on Issues Relating to the Application of the Law in Adjudicating Civil Disputes Involving the Infringement of the Right to Network Dissemination of Information and the judicial policy document Opinions on Leveraging the Adjudicatory Function to Provide Judicial Safeguards for Deepening the Reform of Scientific & Technological Institutions and for Accelerating the Establishment of a National System of Innovation;
The first national workshop for chief judges of intellectual property divisions was held in Guangzhou. This was the first time that Xi Xiaoming, Vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, provided a comprehensive narrative of the policy to “strengthen protection, classification, appropriate stringency” in the judicial protection of intellectual property;
The China-United States Intellectual Property Adjudication Conference was held in Beijing.

Adjudicated according to Law, and Focused on Delivery of Justice
  In 2012, the people’s courts discharged their official responsibility in adjudicating intellectual property matters. Delivery of justice was the top priority. Intellectual property-related cases were adjudicated fairly and efficiently. This has improved adjudication quality and efficiency, enhanced judicial credibility, and has enabled the judiciary to further its primary role in intellectual property protection.
  In the past year, the people’s courts have adjudicated cases involving all aspects of intellectual property law, encompassing civil, administrative and criminal matters. The number of intellectual property cases has increased substantially this year; the increase in the number of criminal cases most significant, more than double last year’s figures. In terms of the number of first instance intellectual property cases accepted in 2012, there were 87,419 civil cases, 45.99% more than last year; 2,928 administrative cases, 20.35% more than last year; and 13,104 criminal cases, 129.61% more than last year.
  
   Civil Litigation has become an increasingly important means to protect intellectual property.
    Adjudicating intellectual property-related civil disputes is essential to the people’s courts. Civil litigation is an important means to protecting intellectual property. In 2012, the people’s court have strengthened protection of various intellectual property branches: patent, to encourage innovation and drive development; trademark, to enable brand-building; copyright, to enhance the overall capacity and competitiveness of the cultural sector; competition, to motivate market players and invigorate the market.
   The number of first instance civil intellectual property cases accepted and disposed by local courts grew by 45.99% and 44.07% to 87,419 and 83,850 cases respectively. Within each intellectual property branch, the case numbers and percentage change compared to last year were as follows: 53,848 copyright cases, 53.04% higher; 19,815 trademark cases, 52.53% higher; 9,680 patent cases, 23.80% higher; 746 cases involving technology agreements, 33.93% higher; 1,123 cases involving unfair competition (of which, 55 were first instance civil cases involving monopoly disputes), 1.23% lower; 2,207 cases involved other intellectual property disputes, 0.64% higher. 1,429 first instance cases involving foreign parties were disposed, 8.18% higher; 613 first instance cases involving parties from either Hong Kong, Taiwan or Macao were disposed, 3.46% lower.
   For second instance cases involving civil intellectual property disputes, 9,581 were accepted, and 9,929 disposed (including carried over cases), 25.37% and 21.32% higher than last year respectively. New cases and concluded and reopened (zaishen) cases fell by 41.5% and 0.45%, to 172 and 223.
   SPC’s intellectual property division accepted 237 cases, concluded 246 cases (including carried over cases); 181 were newly reopened cases, and 186 were disposed (including carried over cases).
   Adjudication quality and efficiency has improved. Clearance rate of civil intellectual property cases of first instance at the local courts maintained at 2011’s level of 87.61%; appeal rate fell from 47.02% in 2011 to 39.53% in 2012; reopen (zaishen) rate fell from 0.51% in 2011 to 0.20% in 2012; and overrule or remand for retrial (chongshen) rate increased from 3.66% in 2011 to 5.46% in 2012. The percentage of civil intellectual property cases of first instance concluded within time limit increased from 98.57% in 2011 to 99.24% in 2012.
  27 cases preliminary injunction relating to intellectual property disputes were accepted by the various levels of people’s courts; approvals were granted for 83.33% of the cases admitted. To reduce the burden of proof on the part of the applicant, the people’s courts accepted 320 applications for pre-trial preservation of evidence, and 96.73% were granted approval. 74 applications for pre-trial preservation of property were accepted, and 94.67% approved.
  High profile cases include Apple Inc. and IP Application Development vs. Shenzhen Proview Technology, involving the “IPAD” trademark dispute; Sany Heavy Industry Co., Ltd vs. Ma’anshan City’s Yonghe Heavy Industry Technology Co., Ltd, involving an unfair competition dispute;Beijing University’s Founder Electronics Co. Ltd vs. Blizzard Entertainment etc., involving the copyright infringement of game fonts; Hu Jinqing and Wu Yunchu vs. Shanghai Animation Film Studio, involving attribution of copyright of the cartoon character “Huluwa” (lit. "Calabash Babies"); Han Han vs. Beijing Netcom Science & Technology Co., Ltd, involving copyright infringement; Zhejiang’s Holley Communications infringement case vs. Shenzhen’s Samsung Kejian Mobile Communication Technology Co., Ltd, involving a patent invention dispute; Zhang Chang, Zhang Hongyue, Nirenzhang Arts Development Co., Ltd vs. Zhang Tiecheng, Beijing Nirenzhang Bogu Clay Factory and Beijing Nirenzhang Arts & Craft Co., Ltd, involving unfair competition dispute; Yaoming vs. Wuhan Yunhedasha Sporting Goods Co., Ltd, involving infringement of moral rights and unfair competition.
  
   Adjudication of intellectual property-related administrative actions further the support and supervision of administrative authorities to ensure lawful operations
   In 2012,by granting and validating intellectual property rights and judicial review of administrative enforcements, the people’s courts have streamlined and improved upon the review criteria for granting and validating intellectual property rights, and in regulating administrative operations for matters relating to intellectual property.
   The local courts accepted 2,928 intellectual property-related administrative cases of first instance, 20.35% more than last year, and closed 2,899 cases, 17.37% more than last year. Of those accepted, the breakdown by intellectual property branch and percentage change compared to last year is: 760 patent cases, 16.21% higher; 2150 trademark cases, 21.68% higher; 3 copyright cases, 50% higher; 15 cases of other categories, 50% higher.
  The number of first instance cases involving foreign parties or Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan parties continued to account for a large percentage of the cases. Total number of cases was 1,349, representing 46.53% of the concluded intellectual property-related administrative cases of first instance; 1,127 of the above cases involved foreign parties, 109 Hong Kong parties, 0 Macao parties and 113 Taiwan parties.
  Total intellectual property-related administrative cases of second instance accepted and concluded by the local courts was 1,424 and 1,388 respectively. Of the concluded cases, 1,225 were affirmed, 118 reversed, 3 remanded for retrial (chongshen), 22 withdrawn, 15 dismissed; in 1 case, the original ruling was revoked and an order issued to docket the case for hearing; 4 other cases were disposed of through other methods.
   SPC accepted 98 intellectual property-related administrative cases and concluded 98. Of the concluded cases, 70 cases or 72.16% were dismissed; tishen orders (similar to certiorari) were issued for 20 cases or 20.41%, 2 cases or 2.04%were ordered to reopen (zaishen); 5 cases or 5.10% were withdrawn; 1 case or 1.02% was disposed through other methods.
   SPC reviewed 24 tishen cases and concluded 22. Of those concluded, SPC affirmed the original decision for 5 cases, or 22.73%; reversed the decision for 16 cases, or 72.73%. 1 case, or 4.55%, withdrew.
   High profile administrative cases include: Wei Tingjian vs. Tiansi Pharmaceutical & Health Co., Ltd, Trademark Review and Adjudication Board of the State Administration of Industry & Commerce, involving an administrative dispute concerning the cancellation of review; Suzhou Dingsheng Food Co., Ltd vs. Suzhou Administration Bureau of Industry & Commerce, Jiangsu Province, involving the administrative sanction of infringement of the “乐活LOHAS” trademark.
   

Better leverage of criminal adjudication to sanction and prevent infringement of intellectual property
   In 2012, the people’s courts have stepped up the criminal enforcement of intellectual property to sanction and prevent infringement of intellectual property.
   For intellectual property-related criminal cases of first instance handled by local courts, new filings increased by 129.61% to 13,104 cases, including 7,840 intellectual property infringement cases (4,664 involved infringement of registered trademarks, such as use of counterfeit marks), 150.16% higher than last year; 2,607 were intellectual property infringement cases involving the crime of production and sale of fake or inferior goods, 236.82% higher than last year; 2,587 were intellectual property infringement cases involving the crime of illegal business operations, 48.08% higher than last year; 70 were cases of other nature, 34.62% higher than last year.
  The number of intellectual property-related criminal cases of first instance concluded by the local courts has increased by 132.45%, to 12,794 cases. The number of persons against whom judgments were effective totalled 15,518, 54.33% higher than last year, including 15,338 who were given criminal sanctions, year-on-year increase is 94.35%. Of the concluded cases, 7,684 involved infringement of intellectual property; 2,504 involved production and sale of fake and inferior goods (involving intellectual property infringement); 2,535 involved illegal business operations (involving intellectual property infringement); 71 were of other nature (involving intellectual property infringement).
  In cases where the offender was found guilty of intellectual property infringement, 2012 cases were convicted of counterfeiting a registered trademark; 1,906 were convicted of selling goods bearing a counterfeit trademark; 615 were convicted of illegally manufacturing or selling illegally manufactured counterfeit marks; 63 were convicted of patent counterfeiting; 3,018 were convicted of copyright infringement; 27 were convicted of selling infringing reproductions; and 43 were convicted of infringing upon trade secrets.
  A high profile case involved the copyright infringement of an online game through a private server.
  
  Combined Mediation and Adjudication to resolve disputes in response to the need to build a harmonious society
   In 2012, the people’s courts continued to broaden the use of mediation for intellectual property disputes, so as to manage conflicts and maintain social harmony and stability.
   First, better aligned the adjudication-mediation processes, where improvement is made in the bridging and balance of adjudication with people’s mediation, administrative mediation and judicial mediation in resolving intellectual property disputes.
  The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region’s High People’s Court worked with the region’s various authorities, including the intellectual property bureau, industry and commerce bureau, press & publication bureau and cultural office, to clarify the bridging of the pre-trial mediation and litigation procedure, as well as systems as “mediation by invitation” (yaoqing tiaojie) and “mediation by appointment” (weituo tiaojie) during the trial process.
  The Hunan High People’s Court had relied upon the results of its Study on the Judicial Affirmation of Mediation Agreements for Administrative Actions to initiate a pilot study on judicial affirmation of mediation agreements for administrative cases of patent disputes at Changsha Municipality’s Yuelu District People’s Court.
  The Fuzhou Intermediate People’s Court had entered into an Agreement on Alignment of Adjudication and Mediation Processes for Intellectual Property Disputes with the Fuzhou customs authority and industry & commerce bureau.
   The courts in Tibet, and Hebei, Henan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Guangdong and Hainan provinces also prioritised the development and improvement of a multifarious dispute resolution mechanism, and in the creation and positive development of a “three-in-one” mediation structure that integrates judicial mediation, people’s mediation and administrative mediation.
  Second, formulate more innovative mediation methods. To benefit from the professional expertise of industry associations and technical experts, the courts have explored a multi-prong mediation strategy, comprising “mediation by invitation”, “industry mediation” and “expert mediation”. The Beijing courts have established a dispute resolution mechanism comprising mediation strategies “mediation by invitation” and “cooperative practice” by working with entities such as the mediation centre of the Internet Society of China, China Writers’ Association and the Beijing Intellectual Property Bureau. The Zhejiang High People’s Court has also explored the possibility of establishing a mechanism for mediation by appointment, targeting at civil patent disputes. The Xinjiang Autonomous Region High People’s Court has invited technical experts to assist in the mediation for intellectual property cases.
  Third, focused on mediation of related cases, and guided the parties to re-channel their resentment from infringement into energy for business cooperation. The Jiangsu Province High People’s Court has assessed the circumstances of related cases in the Karaoke industry and have organised several seminars for copyright owners, copyright collective management organisations, representatives of Karaoke bar owners and the relevant authorities to address at source the many issues in copyright disputes in the Karaoke industry. For high profile intellectual property disputes with related cases, the Guangxi Province High People’s Court organised discussions at the local level with the parties, lawyers and the industry’s regulatory authority.
  The people’s courts have made remarkable progress in mediating intellectual property disputes. 70.26% of first instance intellectual property-related civil cases withdrew after mediation. The success in mediating the highly publicised dispute between Apple Inc. and Proview Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd involving the “IPAD” mark was highly commended at home and abroad.
   
   Greater judicial openness for improved credibility to address public concerns
  In 2012, the people’s courts have employed various methods and approaches when adjudicating intellectual property disputes, and have increased openness and implemented open hearing.
   First, the open intellectual property court includes circuit trials, live online telecast of court hearings, invitation of deputies of people’s congresses, members of people's political consultative conferences and members of the public to observe hearings. In the anti-monopoly case of Qihoo 360 Technology Co., Ltd vs. Tencent Inc., the Guangdong Province High People’s Court invited the media and the general public to observe the case proceedings, and allowed live telecast over the micro-blog. The courts of Inner Mongolia, Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hunan, Sichuan, Fujian, Jiangxi, Ningxia provinces and Xinjiang region have established a permanent system of observation of court hearings by deputies of people’s congresses and members of people's political consultative conferences, as well as online live telecast.
   Second, published written judgements of intellectual property cases to publicise the outcome of the courts’ decisions. The SPC continued to maintain the quality of the Intellectual Property Judgements in China website and the Judicial Protection of Intellectual Property sub-website under the SPC website. The high people’s courts have designated information officer responsible for uploading judgements and decisions on the websites and for maintaining the websites. Information officers must also implement web analytics, and must report and improve the web traffic. As at end 2012, 47,422 intellectual property judgements and decisions have been published on the Intellectual Property Judgements in China website.
   Third, published white papers on intellectual property protection and yearbook to present and publicise the people’s court’s adjudication operations for intellectual property cases. In April 2012, SPC released the Intellectual Property Protection by Chinese Courts in 2011 (Chinese & English Editions). In November 2012, Supreme People’s Court, Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) and Ministry of Public Security (MPS) jointly published the first Yearbook on Intellectual Property Protection in China (2011), which compiles important normative documents, work summaries, statistics, research outcomes and typical cases relating to the judicial protection of intellectual property rights. The high people’s courts of Beijing, Chongqing, Shandong, Hebei, Henan, Gansu, Xinjiang, Jiangsu, Hunan, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan have each issued a white paper or blue paper outlining the judicial protection of intellectual property at the local level.

Served the Needs of Socioeconomic Development, and Implemented the National Intellectual Property Strategy
  Based on adjudication practice, the people’s courts found the appropriate points of breakthrough to serve the broader goals of socioeconomic development, and have implemented the national intellectual property strategy to ensure and enable speed and excellence in development. The courts have endeavoured as follows: first, continued extending the boundaries of the intellectual property-related adjudication function to answer the demands of economic and social development; second, persisted in reform and innovation by improving upon the intellectual property-related adjudication system and work mechanisms to address the demands of the national intellectual property strategy; third, further publicised the judicial protection of intellectual property to broaden public impact; fourth, strengthened cooperation with the administrative and law enforcement authorities to broadened the social impact of judicial protection of intellectual property; fifth, buttressed international and inter-regional cooperation to increase global impact.
  
   Continued extending the boundaries of the intellectual property-related adjudication function to answer the demands of economic and social development
   In July, to leverage the adjudicatory function as a means to intensify reform of the of scientific & technological institutions and for accelerating the establishment of a national system of innovation, SPC publish the Opinions on Leveraging the Adjudicatory Function to Provide Judicial Safeguards for Deepening the Reform of Scientific & Technological Institutions and for Accelerating the Establishment of a National System of Innovation. The Opinions noted that the people’s courts should improve upon their understanding and their sense of responsibility and of mission in providing judicial protection to serve the said objectives. The Opinions also pointed out that outcomes of intellectual endeavours should be given better protection to spur indigenous innovation and technological transcendence, that new factors should receive allocated rationally and according to law to align science and technology with social and economic development, and that centralised coordination should be strengthened to improve operations and measures, and ultimately augment judicial capacity in rendering protection.
   Thus, based on the local cultural characteristics and development of the local cultural industry, the high people’s courts of Tianjin, Inner Mongolia, Hubei, Guangdong, Guangxi and Sichuan have issued specific rules of implementation for providing judicial protection of intellectual property to facilitate development and prosperity of our socialist culture. The rules were formulated to strengthen intellectual property protection in the cultural sector, enable development of the traditional cultural sector, and provide impetus for growth of emerging creative industries. The high people’s courts of Hunan and Shanxi have developed rules of implementation for judicial protection and service for building an innovative economy, which tailored to the local state of socioeconomic development. This would drive innovation and development of science and technology, as well as strategic restructuring of the economy.
   The Jiangsu Province High People’s Court surveyed various segments of the cultural industry, such as film production, publication and distribution, Karaoke, games and animation, and intangible cultural heritage, to find out the demands for intellectual property-related judicial protection within the cultural industry. The study culminated in the Report on the Situation Analysis of Intellectual Property Protection of the Cultural Industry in Jiangsu Province, within which included 14 judicial recommendations. The Hunan Province High People’s Court reviewed the irregularities in notarial evidence in intellectual property litigation, and submitted to the local department of justice the Judicial Recommendations for Regulating the Notarisation and Preservation of Electronic Information & Evidence. The Hubei provincial courts have focused on cases involving copyright infringement of KTVs and internet cafes in the course of business operation, and submitted judicial recommendations to the local bureau of industry & commerce, copyright bureau and cultural bureau. The Huangpu District Court in Shanghai also reviewed the irregularities in authorship of movie and television productions and submitted judicial recommendations to the then-State Administration of Radio, Film & Television.
   The courts of Beijing, Shanghai, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan and Guizhou visited business enterprises and organised intellectual property workshops to establish a long-term contact mechanism with innovators to find out the difficulties and demands of innovators encounter in respect of intellectual property protection. This was as way to provide judicial protection and service that serve the local needs in developing innovative economies. The specific activities were:
Beijing Xicheng District People’s Court visited companies with old trade names, and to protect old trade names and intangible cultural heritage, cooperated with the relevant authorities to initiate the “Intellectual Property Protection Campaign for Old Trade Names”;
Shijingshan District People’s Court proposed the idea of “intelligent protection for CRD (zhi hu CRD) and to build a “Shijingshan Service” brand, so as to provide judicial protection and service for the distribution of goods and the cultural and creative industries under its jurisdiction;
Changzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangsu Province has established a judicial protection contact point for intellectual property matters for key creative industries;
Xuzhou Intermediate People’s Court has set up an intellectual property protection base at the “Creative 68 (‘Chuang Yi 68’)” Cultural Industrial Park;
Shaoxing Intermediate People’s Court in Zhejiang Province has organised a special study on the intellectual property protection of Shaoxing yellow wine;
Hefei Hi-Tech District People’s Court in Anhui Province has completed the Analysis of the Pattern of Typical Cases Involving Copyright Disputes and Study of the Development Strategies of Cultural Industries;
Jingdezhen Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangxi Province initiated a survey of intellectual property protection of porcelain arts and crafts, and provided recommendations for the drafting of the Jingdezhen Porcelain Arts & Crafts Standard;
Hainan High People’s Court commenced studies on the adjudication of intellectual property disputes in the context of Hainan Island being a destination for international tourism;
During the Second China-EuroAsia Exposition and the Eighth China-Kashgar Commodities Trade Fair, the Urumqi Intermediate People’s Court, Shuimogou District People’s Court, Kashgar Region Intermediate People’s Court and the Kashgar City People’s Court deployed intellectual property judges to provide advisory services on intellectual property protection at exhibitions for exhibitors;
Jilin High People’s Court was invited to provide services at the “Intellectual Property Complaint Centre” of the Eighth North-east Asia Investment & Trade Exposition.
  Persisted in reform and innovation by improving upon the intellectual property-related adjudication system and work mechanisms to address the demands of the national intellectual property strategy
   In 2012, the people’s courts have continued to improve upon intellectual property-related adjudication system and work mechanisms based on the Outline of the National Intellectual Property Strategy, to advance the National Intellectual Property Strategy.
   First, promoted the pilot project of centralised adjudication of civil, administrative and criminal cases on intellectual property by the intellectual property division (“three-in-one” adjudication of intellectual property disputes), and improved upon the coordinated adjudication mechanism of civil, administrative and criminal matters relating to intellectual property, such that the overall effectiveness of judicial protection of intellectual property is given play preliminarily. As at end 2012, there were 5 high people’s courts, 59 intermediate people’s courts and 69 basic-level courts that have initiated the pilot project. There are several interesting developments:
  In 2012, the Guangdong courts have gone full steam ahead in implementing the reform pilot programme of “three-in-one” adjudication of intellectual property disputes. The provincial court, 19 intermediate courts and 30 basic-level courts have begun implementing the system, where 90% of criminal intellectual property cases were included in the pilot. The Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court has done so well in the “three-in-one” reform, and the social media has referred to its distinctive model as the “Shenzhen Model”.
  The Jiangsu High People’s Court has stepped up its study of the application of the law for criminal intellectual property matters in the “three-in-one adjudication” reform pilot programme, and has led the completion of the Summary of Issues in the Application of law in Intellectual Property Disputes (Draft for Public Opinion).
  The courts in Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Hunan, Sichuan, Fujian and Guizhou have also relied on various methods to strengthen cooperation with the administrative and law enforcement authorities to drive the “three-in-one” pilot programme for adjudication of intellectual property disputes.
  Second, continued to fine-tune the jurisdiction structure of intellectual property cases. While concentrating the adjudication of cases involving patent, well-known mark and anti-monopoly dispute in certain courts as appropriate, certain basic-level courts are given an appropriate level of authority to accept intellectual property cases. Basic-level courts are encouraged to exercise extra-regional jurisdiction, in order to create a more logical jurisdiction structure. As at end 2012, SPC has appointed 83 intermediate people’s courts to adjudicate cases involving patent disputes, 45 for new plant varieties, 46 for topographies of integrated circuits, and 44 for determination of well-known marks; 141 basic courts are given jurisdiction for general intellectual property cases.
  Three, continued improving the fact-finding mechanism for specialised technologies. The courts of all levels have explored effective fact-finding methods for specialised technology in intellectual property adjudication, which encompass forensic examination, expert assistant (zhuanjia fuzhuren) and expert assessor (zhuanjia peishenyuan) as part of the technical fact-finding system. Much effort has been taken by the courts in different regions:
  The Heilongjiang Province High People’s Court has developed the Heilongjiang Province Rules of Implementation for Consultation in Scientific & Technological Matters in Intellectual Property Adjudication; Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region High People’s Court has signed a memorandum of cooperation on judicial protection of intellectual property with the region’s science and technology association, and have appointed 25 technical experts as litigation assistants; Jiangsu Province High People’s Court has outlined the method of use of expert witnesses during intellectual property litigation in the Practical Uses of Expert Witnesses in Adjudication of Intellectual Property Cases; the Urumqi Intermediate People’s Court uses expert assessors for all intellectual property cases; Beijing 2nd Intermediate People’s Court has employed the “three-member technical team, and five-member adjudication panel” to try patent cases involving complex technical fact-finding. The courts of Tianjin, Xinjiang, Hubei, Hunan and Sichuan have been actively exploring the expert technical assessor system, and have appointed experts to be lay judges to plug the specialised technical knowledge gaps of intellectual property judges.
  
  Further publicised the judicial protection of intellectual property to broaden public impact
  In 2012, the people’s courts have used the World Intellectual Property Day on 26 April as opportunity to organise a Publicity Week for the April 26 World Intellectual Property Day. Wide-ranging, comprehensive and multi-perspective publicity activities on the judicial protection of intellectual property were organised, so as to accelerate the formation of a rule of law culture for intellectual property and to widen the public impact of intellectual property judicial protection.
   On 26 April World Intellectual Property Day, SPC organised a press conference and released the Intellectual Property Protection by Chinese Courts in 2011 (Chinese & English Editions), and published the Ten Major Cases and Fifty Typical Cases on Judicial Protection of Intellectual Property for 2011, and the Supreme People’s Court’s Annual Report on Intellectual Property Cases. In November 2012, SPC, SPP and MPS jointly published the first Yearbook on Intellectual Property Protection in China (2011). The local courts have captured fully the benefits of newspapers, books and magazines, publicity brochures, radio stations, television stations, broadcast networks and the internet and other media to promote the significance, judicial policies and achievements of the judiciary in protecting intellectual property, so as to nurture the awareness of intellectual property right and rule of law concept among the public.
   The high people’s courts in Beijing, Chongqing, Gansu, Xinjiang, Shandong, Hebei, Henan, Jiangsu, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan and Hainan have published their own white paper or blue paper on the judicial protection of intellectual property for 2011. During the publicity week, the Liaoning Province High People’s Court had organised a public incineration of pirated publications, and the Liaoning Television Station broadcasted a special documentary film called the Glorious Path in Intellectual Property Adjudication; the Xining Intermediate People’s Court of Qinghai Province has forged a long-term collaborative relationship with the Qinghai Television Station, which through the economic segment’s “Life and Law (shenghuo yu fa) programme, reported and publicised the court’s work in protecting intellectual property; many media, such as the Legal Daily, Dazhong Daily, Shangdong Satellite Television and Shandong Legal News have reported the intellectual property adjudication work of the courts in Shandong Province, and the People's Court Daily has also published an article entitled “Clearing the Skies for Rule of Law in Intellectual Property Rights” relating the work of the Shandong courts; the branch courts of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps have also publicised its efforts in protecting intellectual property by giving out questionnaires on intellectual property knowledge and books of the law, and by providing legal advice.
   
  Strengthened cooperation with the administrative and law enforcement authorities to broadened the social impact of judicial protection of intellectual property
   In 2012, the people’s courts have aligned as appropriately the relationship between the judicial protection and administrative protection of intellectual property, and furthered their cooperation with the administrative authorities, and have optimised the intellectual property protection regime; in doing so, they have established a synergistic force, and have continued to expand the social impact of the judiciary in intellectual property protection.
   The SPC has convened many inter-departmental meetings with the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), SPP, and SAIC to discuss draft legislative proposals for the criminal enforcement of intellectual property, study the standard of proof for criminal cases involving counterfeit and fake or inferior goods, and promoted the establishment of a case guidance mechanism for criminal adjudication intellectual property cases, so as to improve the consistency in judicial enforcement of intellectual property rights.
   The people’s courts have assisted the MPS in combating the crime of infringement of rights and counterfeiting, and have since solved 43,000 cases involving the crimes of infringement of intellectual property and of manufacturing and sale of fake and inferior goods. More than 60,000 criminal suspects were arrested, and the amount involved was 11.3 billion yuan.
   The high people’s courts of Heilongjiang, Shaanxi etc. have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on Strengthening Intellectual Property Protection with the administrative and law enforcement agencies, such as the provincial intellectual property bureau, the copyright bureau, industry & commerce bureau, to work together in protecting and managing intellectual property. The Guizhou High People’s Court has stepped up its cooperation and coordination with the relevant authorities, such as the provincial intellectual property bureau, industry & commerce bureau, food and drug administration, the cultural regulatory authorities and the public security department, to find ways to establish a long-term mechanism jointly enforced by the judiciary and the administrative authorities, to protect intellectual property rights involving the cultural heritage of Guizhou’s ethnic minorities, geographical indications, and traditional Chinese medicine. The high people’s courts of Ningxia, Anhui, Hebei, Henan and Guangxi have also taken an active role in adopting various ways to strengthen communication, coordination and cooperation with administrative authorities as the intellectual property bureau, copyright bureau, and industry & commerce bureau, to facilitate positive interaction between the judiciary and administrative law enforcement authorities for a powerful and synergistic force in intellectual property protection.
   
  Buttressed international and inter-regional cooperation to increase global impact
  In 2012, the people’s courts have continued to adopt an international perspective, and have broadened the avenues and format to strengthen international and regional exchanges. These are ways to dispel misunderstandings, build trust, and facilitate cooperation, to continue expanding the international impact of China in respect of judicial protection of intellectual property.
  In May, the China-United States Intellectual Property Adjudication Conference was held in Beijing. More than 1,200 participants, including representatives of intellectual property judges from China and the United States, government officials, academics, lawyers, representatives of intellectual property owners, attended the seminar. More than 240 intellectual property judges from China were at the conference; the United States sent a delegation of more than 200 people, including seven judges from United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and president of the Federal Circuit Bar Association. Twenty-six topics, including “Macro Issues concerning Intellectual Property Adjudication” and “Contribution of Court to the IP System”, were discussed in depth and extensively, with 143 speaking at the conference. The conference reflected the sincerity and goodwill on the part of the Chinese and the Americans to share and cooperate for the future in the increasingly globalised world, and was indeed a milestone in intellectual property relations between the two countries.
  SPC has responded positively by sending representatives to participate in activities as the China-US Intellectual Property Work Group Meeting, the China-Europe Intellectual Property Work Group Meeting, the Cross-Straits Intellectual Property Agreement Work Group Meeting, and the intellectual property public relations team that visited the United States etc, and have prepared more than thirty sets of work plans and recommendations that showcased our achievements in intellectual property protection. SPC judges have also received nearly one hundred high level delegates from the United States, the European Union, Japan and Korea, and have responded to the concerns for their foreign visitors, clarified misunderstandings, and shared our practices and achievements in intellectual property protection. They have also corrected misconceptions of a handful of countries in our intellectual property protection regime. SPC has also sent some of its intellectual property judges as participants in international intellectual property meetings in countries as the United States, Ireland and Korea.

Increased adjudication supervision and guidance, and ensured consistency in application of law
  The people’s courts have stepped up adjudication supervision and operational guidance for intellectual property cases, unified the judicial standards and improved the quality of adjudication. First, judicial interpretations were strengthened, judicial policies improved, and exercise of discretion during adjudication unified; second, the ways of providing supervision and guidance were broadened to improve the quality of adjudication; third, research and analysis was stepped up to resolve promptly any emerging or difficult problems in application of law.
  
   Strengthened judicial interpretation, improved judicial policies and unified exercise of discretion during adjudication
   In May, SPC released the Provisions on Issues Relating to the Application of the Law in Adjudicating Civil Disputes Arising from Monopolistic Behaviour. This was the first judicial interpretation pertaining to anti-monopoly that SPC has issued, providing for initiation of action, accepting a case, jurisdiction, distribution of burden of proof, evidence in litigation, civil liabilities, statutory limitation etc. It was essential for guiding the courts in applying the Anti-Monopoly Law correctly to stop monopolistic behaviour according to law and to ensure fair competition.
   In December, SPC issued the Provisions on Issues Relating to the Application of the Law in Adjudicating Civil Disputes Involving the Infringement of the Right to Network Dissemination of Information. This was a judicial interpretation that provided for the principles on which discretion is exercised in cases involving infringement of the right to network dissemination of information, determination of infringement behaviour, determination of joint-direct infringement, induced infringement and contributory infringement, and determination of objective fault on the part of the network service providers. It is an effective tool for dealing with the impact and challenges that the internet presents for the traditional protection of copyright and for ensuring the correct application of the Copyright Law.
   In February, Xi Xiaoming, Vice-president of SPC gave a keynote speech at the first workshop for presiding judges of intellectual property divisions on the topic “Grasping Precisely the Current Policies on Judicial Protection of Intellectual Property to Further Strengthen Judicial Protection for Intellectual Property”. For the first time, he gave a comprehensive explanation of how the SPC’s intellectual property tribunal has actively explored the judicial policy of “strengthen protection, classification, appropriate stringency”. These are the basic tenets on which our judicial protection of intellectual property is based. To “strengthen protection” is the necessary path, given our socioeconomic situation as well as the domestic and international environment; “classification” is the necessary requirement, given the nature and characteristics of intellectual property; “appropriate stringency” is the demand, given the implicit connection between protection of intellectual property and economic development.
   
   Broadened ways of providing supervision and guidance to improve quality of adjudication
   In 2012, the people’s courts have relied on a variety of methods, such as published guiding opinions and guiding cases, organised meetings on adjudication operations, and announcing information on major and related intellectual property cases to broaden the means of supervision and guidance to improve the quality of adjudication.
   In December, SPC has issued a notice on “Issues Regarding the Implementation of the ‘Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Amendment of the Civil Procedural Law of the People’s Republic of China’ in Intellectual Property Adjudication”. The notice highlighted the importance of implementing the Decision on Amendment of the Civil Procedural Law (“Decisions”) for intellectual property adjudication, and set forth matters as a patent agent becoming an agent ad litem in the capacity of a citizen, and correct application of the pre-trial preservation of evidence, to guide the courts in applying the Decisions correctly in the course of their intellectual property adjudication.
   The people’s courts have always attached great importance to the demonstrative and guidance function of typical cases in intellectual property adjudication. The selection and publication of typical cases are subject to a unified standard and has become part of the institutional practice over the long term. In April, SPC has selected 34 typical cases from the concluded cases in 2011, and has extracted and summarised 44 problems of application of law which are universally applicable. The problems are compiled in the Supreme People’s Court’s Annual Report on Intellectual Property Cases (2011) and published. SPC has also published the Ten Major Cases and Fifty Typical Cases on Judicial Protection of Intellectual Property for 2011. Those that have also published their local versions of typical intellectual property cases or annual report were the high people’s courts of Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Fujian, Guangxi, Yunnan and Xinjiang.
   The Zhejiang High People’s Court has organised a province-wide work meeting on intellectual property adjudication and a seminar for presiding judges of intellectual property division for all the intermediate people’s courts within the province. These were aimed at sorting thoughts for adjudicating emerging and difficult cases, to unify the adjudication standards. The courts of Jiangsu Province have created a new approach to adjudicating related cases, and have selected related cases that are either typical or demonstrative, and have taken the initiative to organise circuit tribunals. The Shanghai High People’s Court has developed the Guidebook on Adjudicating Copyright Cases and the Several Issues in Intellectual Property Adjudication during the First Half of 2012. The Hunan High People’s Court has observed and improved upon the reporting system on case trends and information, analysis system of the quality and effectiveness of cases remanded for retrial or cases with amended judgements, and the communication system for cases remanded for retrial or cases with amended judgements, and have promptly studied and notified the courts within the province salient problems in intellectual property cases. The Heilongjiang High People’s Court has leveraged the Heilongjiang adjudication network and relied on the internet for instantaneous communication and the email to set up a guidance network for comprehensive intellectual property research to which all the courts within the province have access. The high people’s courts of Henan, Shanxi and Jiangxi have established a reporting system for related intellectual property cases to ensure consistency of judgement for the same case.
   Stepped up research and analysis to promptly resolve any emerging or difficult problems in application of law
  In 2012, the people’s courts have focused on intellectual property adjudication, and have continued to strengthen research and analysis to cope with new situations and problems, so as to resolve promptly emerging and difficult problems with application of law.
  2012 saw the amendment of six major laws, being the Patent Law, Trademark Law, Copyright Law, Civil Procedural Law, Regulations on Patent Commissioning, and Measures on Service Invention, and SPC has participated in the relevant meetings and discussions, and has closely followed the development of the law, taken note of new situation and emerging issues. It has also reviewed the judicial principles and experiences generated from its adjudicatory practice in recent years, and conducted extensive studies and analysis to propose recommendations for legislative amendments. The intellectual property division SPC has also organised special discussions on particularly salient and difficult issues, including directions for use of drugs, copyright in karaoke, copyright for drama works, and non-squatting trademark issues.
  Beijing High People’s Court have completed research outcomes as Answers to Several Issues on Adjudicating Disputes Involving the Infringement of Intellectual Property in E-Commerce, and Bench Book on Adjudicating Copyright Disputes Involving the Sharing of Video Clips etc; Tianjin High People’s Court has published the Study on Intellectual Property Protection for Technology-Based Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises; Shanghai High People’s Court has published the Study on Judicial Protection of Intellectual Property to Facilitate Development of the Cultural and Creative Industries; Hunan Province People’s Court has completed the Research Report Copyright Cases on Karaoke Operators for all Courts within the Province; Jiangsu High People’s Court have commence studies as A Study on Problems Relating to Evidentiary Rules during Adjudication of Intellectual Property Cases and the Study on the Judicial Protection of Intellectual Property for the Cultural Industry; and the Hebei High People’s Court has commenced the Study on Intellectual Property Protection of Fine Ethnic Cultures.


Bolstered the Foundation of Basic-Level Courts, and Strengthened the Adjudication Team
  In 2012, the people’s courts have further consolidated the fundamental capacities of intellectual property adjudication and the basic-level courts, strengthened the capacity of the team of intellectual property judges, and drove the scientific development of intellectual property adjudication, so as to respond to the people’s concerns and expectations in intellectual property adjudication. First, the courts have strengthened the adjudication team to improve upon the adjudication regime; second, they have improved political and judicial attitudes and ways, and have strengthened the building of an incorrupt practice to advance judicial impartiality; third, enhanced capacity building of intellectual property judges to elevate judicial credibility.
  
  
  
   Strengthened the adjudication team to improve upon the adjudication regime
   The people’s courts have always given priority to establishing an intellectual property division within the courts and to building a strong team. Courts that are of intermediate-level and above have intellectual property divisions, and the 141 basic-level courts with civil jurisdiction for general intellectual property matters have also established intellectual property divisions. Intellectual property judges for all levels of courts are selected from candidates who are well-versed in the law, highly-educated, with extensive adjudication experience. This was the way to strengthen the adjudication team and to optimise the adjudication structure. As at end 2012, there were 420 intellectual property divisions across the country, 2,759 intellectual property judges, and of whom, 97.5% with at least a bachelor degree and 41.1% with at least a master degree.
Also important is the leveraging of the fundamental roles of the basic-level and intermediate courts in intellectual property adjudication. In April, SPC issued the Decision on Establishing a Research Base for the Judicial Protection of the Intellectual Property of Pharmaceutical Industry and on Increasing the Number of Demonstration Courts for Intellectual Property Adjudication and Field Study Bases and Theoretical Research Bases for the Judicial Protection of Intellectual Property. Newly added basic-level demonstration courts for intellectual property adjudication were the Beijing Haidian District People’s Court, Shanghai Huangpu District People’s Court, Guangdong Province’s Guangzhou Tianhe District People’s Court, Jiangsu Province’s Nanjing Gulou District People’s Court, and Zhejiang Province’s Hangzhou Xihu District People’s Court, bring the total number to ten. Jiangsu Province’s Nanjing Intermediate People’s Court and Hubei Province’s Wuhan Intermediate People’s Court were the new research bases for intellectual property judicial protection; also, special research bases for intellectual property judicial protection for pharmaceutical industry were established at Jiangsu Province’s Taizhou Intermediate People’s Court and Lianyungang Intermediate People’s Court, bringing the total number of research bases to nine.
  Improved political and judicial attitudes and ways, and strengthened the building of an incorrupt practice to advance judicial impartiality
  The people’s courts have always focused on developing the political attitudes and ways of intellectual property judges. In 2012, the people’s courts have pursued party-building to lead team-building and finally to achieve adjudication quality. To do that, many thematic activities were organised, such as learning and practising the scientific development concept, education sessions on the socialist rule of law concept, and entitled “People’s Judge for the People” nurture and consolidate the socialist rule of law concept in intellectual property judges, and help the judges reinforce their ideals and beliefs.
   The people’s courts have always given priority to strengthening the judicial attitudes and ways of intellectual property judges. The value pursuit is “justice for the people”. To achieve that, the courts have organised major discussions with the public and major checks on judicial attitudes and ways, so as to regulate judicial behaviour and improve on the judicial practice. In December, to implement the eight required qualities to improve the work practice and to regulate judicial actions as set forth by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, SPC published a notice pertaining to the Six Measures to Improve the Judicial Practice to guide the courts to observe the following, based on their practical realities: pursue justice for the people, and maintain close contact with the public; advance judicial openness, and accept the public’s supervision; strengthen communication of the people’s opinions, and expand judicial democracy; streamline meetings and activities, and really improve upon the ways that meetings are conducted; simplify documented reports, and really improve upon the ways that documents are prepared; improve research studies, and improve the effectiveness of research studies. These were the six areas that were worked on to achieve better attitudes and ways on the part of the judiciary.
The people’s courts have always given priority to building a clean and uncorrupted judicial practice among intellectual property judges. In 2012, the people’s courts have launched moral education programmes promoting incorrupt judicial practice, addressing problems with temporary and permanent solutions, but focusing on the root of problems. Moral education aims to help elevate the moral integrity of intellectual property judges and be conscious of resisting moral depravity. The courts of various levels have stepped up the creation of a corruption risk prevention and control mechanism to realise the “five strict prohibitions and the various anti-graft systems. Anti-corruption ombudsman, recusal of judges, anti-interference of case operations by internal officers, anti-conflict of interest etc. are anti-graft measures, which are internal supervisory efforts aimed at improving judicial powers at work.

   Enhanced capacity building of intellectual property judges to elevate judicial credibility
The people’s courts have always place great emphasis on strengthening capacity-building among intellectual property judges. In 2012, the people’s courts have adopted a multi-prong approach, and have developed learning-based adjudication divisions, held trainings, organised seminars, initiated the hearing-cum-written judgement “double evaluation system”, to put together a team of high quality and professional intellectual property judges. This was a practical way to improve ability and quality of intellectual property judges in applying the law and in resolving practical problems.
In February, SPC held the first National Workshop for Presiding Judges of Intellectual Property Divisions. All presiding judges from the high people’s courts, intermediate people’s courts and basic-level courts having jurisdiction for intellectual property cases were at the workshop. More than 230 participants were at the meeting. Local experts from the State Council Legislative Affairs Office, the State Intellectual Property Office, and Renmin University of China, and foreign experts from the United States Federal Circuit were invited to give keynote addresses, during which the basic intellectual property regime as well as the most discussed and difficult issues were discussed extensively. In September, SPC held a training course on intellectual property adjudication practice at the National Judges College, where more than 2oo intellectual property judges from across the country were trained. Famous academics and experience SPC judges were invited to impart knowledge on the adjudication practice of patent, trademark, copyright and unfair competition disputes.
SPC has organised more than ten seminars, including “Seminar on the Foremost Intellectual Problems”, “Seminar on the Protection of Copyright on the Internet and Well-Known Marks”, “Forum on Intellectual Property Right of Pharmaceuticals”, “Seminar on the Protection of Intellectual Property Right in the Information Era” and “Seminar on Strengthening Protection of Well-Known Marks and Contain Illegal Trademark Squatting”. Other courts in different regions have also organised similar activities:
The Beijing High People’s Court held the “Fourth Seminar on Prime Intellectual Property Cases for Beijing Courts”; the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region High People’s Court enrolled all the region’s judges in the distant learning programme organised by the China Intellectual Property Training Centre; the Shandong courts were gearing towards the building of a learning-based party branch, where weekly discussions on hot and difficult issues encountered during adjudication of intellectual property cases were held; the Zhejiang High People’s Court has developed a training system for key adjudication personnel of intellectual property-related civil cases; the Sichuan Province courts have stepped up their training of new intellectual property judges by adopting a “one-to-one” mentoring system; the Hunan Province High People’s Court has held trainings on intellectual property adjudication, and have since trained more than 160 key adjudicators of intellectual property cases.


Conclusion
   2012 was a gainful year for the judiciary in terms of intellectual property adjudication. For 2013, the people’s courts will assess any changing circumstances and determine the new tasks ahead, and will work towards advancing their cause.
   2013 is the first year to implementing the principles as set forth at the National Congress of the Communist Party. It is also a critical year to build on the previous year’s achievements and to continue the good work in the year ahead. It is a year which offers unprecedented opportunities. The people’s courts will practise the principles of the 18th party congress and adhere to the key notions underlying the Deng Xiaoping Theory, the “Three Represents” and the Scientific Development Concept. Their goals are to build a safe country governed by the rule of law, and to “work towards ensuring that the people will experience equity and justice in every judicial case”. They work to enforce the law and adjudicate intellectual property-related disputes, initiate judicial reforms, supervise and guide, build capacity, and strengthen the fundamentals at the basic-level courts. Their ultimate aim is to serve the people, deliver justice, improve judicial credibility, and to power the building of a complete xiaokang society by providing the most effective judicial service.

黄冈市人民政府办公室关于印发《黄冈城区“菜篮子”工程建设专项资金使用管理办法》的通知

湖北省黄冈市人民政府办公室


黄冈市人民政府办公室关于印发《黄冈城区“菜篮子”工程建设专项资金使用管理办法》的通知


黄政办发〔2008〕76号




黄州区人民政府、黄冈经济开发区管委会,市直有关单位:
  经市人民政府同意,现将《黄冈城区“菜篮子”工程建设专项资金使用管理办法》印发给你们,请遵照执行。


二00八年十月二十八日


黄冈城区“菜篮子”工程建设专项资金使用管理办法

  为了规范黄冈城区“菜篮子”工程建设专项资金(以下简称“专项资金”)的使用管理,提高管理水平和使用效益,促进黄冈城区“菜篮子”工程建设,根据《黄冈市人民政府关于黄冈城区“菜篮子”工程建设的实施意见》(黄政发〔2007〕44号)精神和有关法律、法规,特制定本办法。
  第一条 资金筹集
  市财政局负责每年在年度预算中安排100万元作为专项资金;市国土资源局负责对征用黄冈城区城郊耕地的,按每亩1万元标准征收新菜地开发建设基金作为专项资金;市物价局负责从每年征收的价格调节基金中拿出20%作为专项资金。上述资金按季度拨付到市财政国库专户。
  第二条 专项资金实行专项管理,专帐核算,专款专用。资金的分配、审核、审批坚持公平、公正、公开的原则。
  第三条 本专项资金属于奖补性资金。对按照市政府统一规划,已建成完工的连片蔬菜基地、蔬菜大棚和市政府决定的其他相关专项建设,实行民办公助,以奖代补。
  第四条 享受奖补的条件及标准
  对黄冈城区规模在200亩以上的连片蔬菜种植基地,按市、区1:1的比例给予每亩每年50元奖补;对当年新建水泥骨架及钢构大棚的农户,按市、区1:1的比例给予每亩600元一次性奖补。
  第五条 专项资金的申报、验收、审批、拨付程序
  (一)申报
  申报“专项资金”的项目必须填报项目申报书,填写规范的申报文书,并以正式文件上报主管部门审批。同时由所在乡(镇)、区出具审核报告,送黄冈城区“菜篮子”工程领导小组办公室审批。
  (二)验收
  对申报的项目,由黄冈城区“菜篮子”工程领导小组办公室会同国土资源、物价、财政部门进行考核验收,提出验收确认报告书,并填写验收表。
  (三)审批
  依据验收确认报告书,由黄冈城区“菜篮子”工程领导小组办公室审核确认,送市财政局审核签署意见,报市政府分管副市长和常务副市长审批。
  (四)拨付
  市财政局依据确认审批享受“菜篮子”工程建设专项资金的项目资金数额,自审批之日起,在7个工作日内直接将奖补资金拨付到项目单位及项目实施业主。
  第六条 监督与管理
  (一)扶持黄冈城区“菜篮子”工程建设的奖补资金,由市财政国库专户管理,实行国库集中支付。
  (二)由市审计局、市财政监督局每年对专项资金奖励使用情况进行审计检查。
  第七条 本办法自印发之日起施行。




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