Around 21,000 trademark infringement cases have been seized by Chinese AICs in the first half of

Statistics from the State Administration for Industry & Commerce (SAIC) show that in the first half of the year 2008, all local AICs have handled approximately 21,000 trademark infringement cases. Total value of the seized infringement cases reaches 397 million RMB Yuan with a fine totaling 175 million RMB Yuan. Among these cases, 4,300 are related to foreign trademarks. Furthermore, 53 infringing individuals were sentenced by the court to take criminal liabilities for trademark infringement.

The administrative enforcement of trademark infringement has been strengthened during recent years, and accordingly, trademarks can be protected more effectively. More specifically, all local AICs have made great progress on the transfer of the trademark infringement cases and have cut off channels that deal with the transfer of counterfeit goods thereby substantially limiting infringing activities. Additionally, China has established a cooperative administration network to enforce trademark protection. This has resulted in a reduction in trademark infringement and has helped to maintain order in the market