Overview

As China is one of the main sources of counterfeit items, more and more IPR holders use the mechanism of border protection in China as a first line of defense to stop the flow of counterfeit goods into the global market.

In 2009, customs across the country organized a total of 67,051 actions for IPR protection, and actually detained 65,810 batches of cargo suspected of infringement with a total value of RMB 450 million. Compared with the year of 2008, in which customs seized 11,135 batches of imported or exported cargo nationwide, the number of seizures conducted has increased by almost 500%.

These statistics show that Chinese customs is becoming more active in IPR protection and local customs offices are even establishing specialized departments for IPR issues. IPR holders in China should take advantage of this trend of strengthening border protection. However, it could also lead to potential risks if the IPR holder does not cooperate with customs in a correct manner or fails to respond in due time.

This briefing examines recent IPR statistics and offers an overview of current IPR processes.