Source: CCTV.com

12-06-2006 10:19

The United States has announced it will charge patent fees on all imported color TVs from March next year. The new charges will hurt Chinese companies who have large exports to the country will be greatly influenced.

The US Federal Communications Committee says all imported TV sets must be digital and comply with American technical standard.

The new rules will bring financial penalties.

Wang Ning, China Electric Commerce, said:"These TVs will have to use transponders that are comply with American standard and most of that technology was invented by US companies. And we'll have to pay patent fees if we want to use them."

South Korean TVs are already subject to these charges - at a cost of 20-30 US dollars a set. If Chinese firms have to pay the same, it will cost them an extra 1 billion dollars a year.

And that's got manufacturers worried.

Skyworth Group Spokesman Shen Jian said:"It will be a big blow to our exports. We are working with people from the industry and association to see what we can do."

Some think it not reasonable.

Chinese manufacturers have been preparing for the patent fee. 13 companies including TCL, Konka and Skyworth signed an accord to set up a digital TV patent pool and specialized joint-ventures in September.

Some suggest that China should also set up a similar standard of its own with Chinese intellectual property rights so that exports to China would have to comply with Chinese standards.

 

Editor:Lu Yuying