Beijing - Strengthening protection for intellectual property (IP) is the top priority for technological advancement and establishing proprietary Chinese textile brands, said Du Yuzhou, president of China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC).

Statistics from the China Textile Economic Information website show the sector made products worth a combined 3 trillion yuan during the first 11 months of last year, an increase of 9.71 percent over the same period of 2008 despite the worldwide economic slowdown.

At the same time, the world's textile powerhouse faced a growing number of disputes over intellectual property rights. To forestall future conflicts, an early warning system is planned carry information about foreign corporate IP disputes, according to an official industrial guideline issued in 2009.

A main cause of IP violations is "unconscious infringement" due to low awareness, along with prolonged procedures required for intellectual property registration, according to industrial insiders. 
                                                                                                   Source: China Daily