Scores of pirated products have been seized, sales of certified
products have risen and business owners are now much more aware of
intellectual property rights (IPR) protection in China thanks to an
intensive anti-piracy campaign, a Chinese official announced in
Beijing yesterday.
"The campaign has produced good results," according to an
official with the national office responsible for cracking down on
pornographic and illegal publications.
The 100-day nationwide campaign, focused on pirated audio and
video products, and computer software, was launched on July 15 by
the office, the ministries of Culture and Public Security, and
seven other central government departments.
According to the official, an average of 19.46 million illegal
publications were seized every month from July to September, more
than double the monthly average for the January-June period.
He said many dealers checked their stocks themselves and
voluntarily handed over pirated products. The statistics are not
complete but an estimated one million items were collected in this
way.
"Audio and video product dealers and computer software dealers
are much more aware of IPR protection now," the official added.
He said reports from audio and video product wholesalers in
Beijing and Guangzhou indicate that daily sales of certified
products have risen by around 20 percent since the campaign was
launched.
(Xinhua News Agency October 25, 2006)