China tackles IP crime with 31,000 cases investigated since 2025

China has intensified its crackdown on intellectual property infringements and counterfeit goods, with 31,000 criminal cases investigated since the beginning of 2025, the Ministry of Public Security said on Friday.

The figure was released during the annual National Intellectual Property Publicity Week, running from Monday to Sunday, focusing on strengthening IP protection in emerging fields and accelerating the development of new quality productive forces.

Thanks to a new model that combines professional expertise, coordination mechanisms and big data, public security bodies nationwide can tackle IP-related crimes thoroughly and build a broader collaborative protection system, the ministry said.

To protect innovators, especially high-tech companies, Chinese police have stepped-up efforts to crack down on trade secret violations, with more than 140 such cases investigated since last year. This initiative played a big role in removing risks and protecting the core competitiveness of the companies, the ministry noted.

Additionally, public security departments have launched regular services for enterprises to conduct security checks, helping them identify and address more than 3,000 potential infringement risks, it added.

In one case released by the ministry, Shanghai police resolved a chip technology trade secret infringement case in July 2025 through the police-enterprise mechanism, with detention of 18 suspects and seizure of many servers, mobile phones and computers.

Police found that a suspect surnamed Ran and others had set up several companies and recruited former employees of the rights-holding company by offering high salaries and equity incentives and allegedly used the stolen technical secrets to develop similar chip products. Besides the crackdown, police also helped the company improve its trade secret protection system to prevent further leaks.

The ministry emphasized that Chinese police have strengthened campaigns against counterfeit and substandard goods, mainly targeting fake branded products and domestic trendy brands in areas including consumer electronics, home appliances, clothing, bags, culture and entertainment, with a number of organized criminal networks dismantled.

Furthermore, cooperation between public security departments and other government agencies have increased, with promotion of joint governance in sectors such as gas, electric bicycles and building insulation materials, it noted.

An official with the ministry's IP crime investigation bureau said that public security organs across the country will continue using the investigation model and maintaining the tough stance against IP infringements and counterfeiting crimes, thereby building a more efficient IP protection environment.