[photopress:it_microsoft_1978.jpg,full,alignright]China’s State Intellectual Property Office refuted a news report that ‘Chinese IP officials, together with research institutes, were engaged in an investigation in an international software magnate who was suspected of market monopoly.’
In a statement, the office said the report was seriously irrespective of facts.
It said it had commissioned relevant institutions to conduct studies on domestic piracy rates, and the results had already been released to the media.
‘But we have never conducted investigations in enterprises suspected of monopoly, and have no plan recently to carry out work in such respect.’
The earlier reprorts suggsgt that Microsoft was the target but that was specifically denied.
Yin Xintian, a spokesman and legal director at the State Intellectual Property Office in Beijing, said, ‘We are not conducting an anti-monopoly investigation against Microsoft and have no plans to do so.’
It has taken China 13 years to formulate an anti-monopoly law and many had suspected that Microsoft would be an early target, since a copy of its Office and Windows software costs nearly as much as a new computer in local currency. But Microsoft, too, has said it is not aware of any investigation.
It added: ‘Microsoft fully supports China’s efforts to establishing an environment conducive to promoting fair competition.’ There is also no suggestion that the Microsoft staff in the illustration are under investigation. That was taken in 1978.
Source: VNU and Sydney Morning Herald