Chinese courts heard more than 3,500 criminal cases concerning intellectual property last year, up 28 per cent from the year before, and sentenced 5,336 people, up 30 per cent from 2004.

Police arrested 2,119 suspects for IPR violations, up 56 per cent from 2004.

Customs handled 1,210 cases of IPR infringements, of which 91 per cent were about trademark piracy.

Industrial and commerce administration departments uncovered 39,000 trademark infringement cases, of which 236 were referred to public security authorities.

(China Daily 03/28/2006 page1)

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