Government workers teach people how to identify pirated DVDs yesterday in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province. The activity was held to mark World Intellectual Property Day.

An action plan to combat intellectual property rights (IPR) violations was unveiled by the State Council Wednesday to add more muscle to existing regulations and tackle the issue right down to the street level.

Many periodic campaigns have been conducted over the past few years but the comprehensive two-year plan is of overarching significance, Teng Fei of the State Council Development Research Centre, told China Daily.

"It is necessary to encourage innovation in the nation," the expert said.

Among the key points of the IPR Protection Action Guidelines (2006-07) are:

Governments should assume a greater sense of responsibility and accountability.

"IPR protection must be ranked high on the agendas of governments at various levels; and integrated into their overall plans for social and economic development," the guidelines say.

If serious offences are uncovered, relevant officials must be held responsible; and "severe punishment" meted out to those who are involved or cover up infringements.

Enforcement agencies such as the public security departments should ensure that each violation is punished according to law; and improve co-ordination among various departments.

All illegal production lines must be smashed, and transportation of pirated products through mail, air, land or rail routes will be "harshly" dealt with.

Streets should be cleared of vendors or stallholders who sell pirated products.

China has broken up 223 illegal laser-disc production lines since 1996, including six this year, Yan Xiaohong, deputy chief of the National Copyright Administration of China, said earlier this month.

The authorities are offering up to 300,000 yuan (US$37,000) for tips leading to the exposure of underground DVD operations, Yan said.

Illegal publications and Internet piracy and infringements must be targeted.

Customs should use modern techniques to block the entry and exit of counterfeit and pirated products.

Exhibition venues should prevent people from using the shows to sell or organize the processing of illegal products.

According to a statute enacted on March 1, an office should be set up by exhibition organizers to handle complaints about IPR infringements if an exhibition lasts more than three days.

Organizers and participants engaging in IPR violations will be barred from holding or attending exhibitions again.

Special centres will be set up in 50 cities to handle complaints about IPR issues.

In addition, the country will improve legislation to strike harder at IPR offences.

President Hu Jintao, in a meeting with Bill Gates last week in Redmond, Washington, assured the Microsoft chairman that China is serious about intellectual property rights protection.

"IPR protection is not only needed by China as it opens up more to the outside world and improves the investment environment; it is also needed as we strengthen our innovation ability."

Commerce Minister Bo Xilai said at a recent press conference that at least 300,000 law-enforcers and affiliated officials are involved in IPR protection in China.

Editor: Yan