During its fourth plenary session on March 13, the 15th Session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) heard and examined the reports from the Supreme People's Court(SPC) and the Supreme People's Procuratorate(SPP).  Chief Justice Xiao Yang addressed the national legislature that the court system had concluded 2,277 IPR criminal cases including counterfeiting and piracy and sentenced 3,508 criminals in 2006.  In his report, top prosecutor Jia Chunwang referred his office's actions in enhancing IPR judicial protection, namely, approving the apprehension of 3,729 suspects allegedly manufacturing/selling fake goods ,offending trademark, copyright or trade secret rights and prosecuting 3,634. 

Justice Xiao recalled the courts' concrete action in imposing sanctions on IPR infringements in 2006 in support of the country's innovation policy.  Some highlights were 14,056 first-instance civil cases concluded and the addition of new judicial interpretations on trial of new varieties of plants and other subject matters.
Prosecutor General Jia said that the procuratorates would aggressively combat the hardcore crimes jeopardizing national security, social stability and market economic order this year with continuous implementation of its functions of apprehension approval and prosecution.

2007-03-26