CHINA

Chinese Law Firm Is First to Help Prevent Pirating: China has thrown open the doors of its first intellectual property rights law firm to help foreign and domestic companies prevent pirating, the official China Daily reported. Intellectual property rights has been a sore point between U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators. Trade talks last year centered on pirating of computer software and other intellectual property that was patented in the United States but flagrantly copied in China. In an 11th-hour agreement last year, China promised to abide by international intellectual property rights conventions. Liu, Shen and Associates was jointly established by Liu Gushu, the founder and former chairman of the China Patent Agent (Hong Kong) Ltd. and Shen Yaozeng, former deputy direct-general of the Chinese Patent Office, the paper reported.