China, which was one of the countries to propose holding a World IP Day (along with Algeria), has gone further than most countries by commemorating the day with a week of events. The most high profile was the destruction of more than 26 million pirated or counterfeited items at various sites across the country. A reporter for the Los Angeles Times witnessed the event in Beijing:
After a few speeches, the officials donned white rubber gloves and protective goggles and took their place behind machines resembling wood chippers. The police handed them bins filled with DVDs that the officials fed a few at a time into the machines, which with a terrific noise spit out slivers of polycarbonate plastic.
The destruction also marked the start of a campaign against pirated and illegal goods called Green Bookmark Action 2011.
The government authorities have made several announcements this week, including a 25.4% increase in trade mark filings in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2010 and a dramatic rise in online copyright cases in Shanghai.
Vietnam has also held events over a week. These have included a teleconference on the theme Fostering innovation for socio-economic development and an online IP talk hosted by one of the country's newspapers.
The IP Office of the Philippines has four days of events, including the opening of a satellite office in Tacloban city, a patent drafting seminar and the issuance of the first copyright certificate.
In Singapore on May 2 (a public holiday) teams of volunteers can take part in The Originals IP Race in which they can pit their wits against pirates and take part in "exciting challenges".
IP Australia does not seem to have organised any events, but the Pirate Party Australia has filled the void by handing out free cds outside the University of Technology Sydney.
Meanwhile in Baku, Azerbaijan the Director of Copyright and Intellectual Property Protection Agency Kamran Imanovtook part in a conference and has claimed that the country intends to reduce the level of piracy to international level: "that is to 40% at most".
In the last 5 years the level of book piracy in Azerbaijan has fallen from 61% to 40% and in software provision from 96% to 88%.
According to WIPO's Facebook page, Bhutan's IP Office will be marking the day by organising a presentation and discussion in a school and the country's broadcasting organisation will be hosting a panel discussion on IP involving the judiciary, members of the Motion Picture Association of Bhutan and the IP Office.
