China has announced that the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) will become effective immediately upon China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). This means that all IPRs established in TRIPs will effectively be protected by the end of 2001, at the very latest.
Currently, although there have been many amendments to the major IP laws in China, such as the Patent Law and Trademark Law, China's protection system still lacks in some areas. However, as laws are quickly changing and litigation is also proving successful, China's outlook remains optimistic.
