A court specializing in intellectual property rights (IPR) opened in Beijing on November 6, in the latest effort to effectively handle IPR conflicts.

The court, which has four hearing rooms, has selected 22 of its 30 judges, each has an average 10 years experience of IPR cases.

The court will mainly hear administrative cases, in which plaintiffs sue authorities over IPR violations.

The establishment of the court is in line with a proposal by the Supreme People's Court, which was approved in August by China's top legislature, to set up three special courts for IPR cases.

The other two, which will mainly deal with civil cases, are expected to open in Shanghai and Guangzhou in southern Guangdong Province by the end of this year.

Chinese courts hear about 110,000 IPR cases annually and this is expected to increase.

Anti-Terrorism Efforts

China has launched a joint mechanism to improve intelligence gathering for anti-terrorism efforts, according to a statement released on November 12.

Guo Shengkun, Minister of Public Security, urged full use of the intelligence to smash violent terrorist activities before they are carried out.

While giving full play to traditional methods of intelligence gathering, authorities should also use big data and information technologies to improve the coordination, sharing and research of anti-terrorism intelligence, he said while attending the launching ceremony of the mechanism.

The gathering center should become a powerful intelligence support to China's fight against terrorism, he said.

Phone Users

China's phone users numbered 1.53 billion at the end of September, including 1.27 billion mobile phone users, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced on November 12.

Mobile broadband subscribers reached 525 million at the end of September, including 43.06 million 4G mobile broadband subscribers.

Broadband through fixed-lines reached 200 million households at the end of September.

About 92 percent of villages have accesses to broadband, according to the ministry.

New Bank Cards

Public security experts have developed a type of electronic identity card that will better safeguard personal information and Internet security.

The e-ID, which employs sophisticated security techniques approved by the State Security Cryptography Administration Office, prevents card information from being read, copied, changed or used, said Yan Zeming, a principal investigator with the Third Institute of the Ministry of Public Security.

With personal information stored in a chip embedded in a bank card, the e-ID will allow for easier, safer online shopping by eliminating complicated submissions, Yan said at the ongoing China International Industry Fair in Shanghai.

The institute is trying out the technology in localities across China, with some 6 million e-ID bank cards being issued.