Police investigate 40,000 IPR, substandard good-related crimes in 2023

BEIJING -- In 2023, Chinese police investigated 40,000 cases involving the violation of intellectual property rights (IPRs) or the manufacturing and selling of substandard goods, according to police authority.

Police authorities nationwide have taken tough actions against IPR violations related to scientific and technological innovation as well as trade secret violations, investigating over 150 technology-related cases last year, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement Saturday.

In order to maintain the order of the copyright market, more than 1,300 cases involving criminal violations of copyright of textbooks and reference books, films and software have been investigated, the statement said.

The police are also working with other relevant departments and have launched special crackdown campaigns against the manufacturing and selling of counterfeit or substandard goods such as fire-fighting equipment, gas devices, electric products, construction materials and auto parts.

The statement added that while cracking down on enterprise-related IPR cases, equal protection has also been provided for all kinds of businesses in the market.

The police are sharing relevant information with administrative agencies to take coordinated measures in fighting violations such as online privacy and the illegal taping of films at cinemas. The ministry and other departments have jointly supervised the investigation of 150 major cases in these regards, and all have been solved, the statement said.