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)