China’s Vice Minister of Commerce Jiang Zengwei announced at a press conference that the nine-month “Special Operation Against IPR Infringement and Counterfeiting,” which ran from October 2010 to June 2011, led to over 150,000 investigations, which yeilded 9031 arrests and 12,854 shutdowns of plants making pirated goods.  The value of goods seized were reported by by Xinghua to be 3.43 billion yuan (USD 530 million).

According to a new website established by the Chinese government, “the Special Operation against IPR Infringement and Counterfeiting has completed successfully,” but enforcement efforts will continue:  “We will explore and establish a long-lasting mechanism to protect IPRs and combat counterfeiting… we will improve the legal system and regulatory framework, innovate relevant mechanisms and institutions, drive ahead the software legalization process, and maintain a heavy-handed crackdown on infringement and counterfeiting.”

Zengwei said that as part of the Special Operation, the Chinese government is working with popular websites to have infringing content removed.  It is also inspecting government agencies to ensure the use of legitimate software.

Chinese Government Sources:

News Stories