Chinese customs has been an important player in protecting intellectual property rights (IPR), taking a firm hand against smuggling of illegal products, a customs official said recently. IPR infringement in the imported products have been rising at around 10 percent a year. In 2016 alone, Chinese authorities seized 670 batches of illegal goods, including fake lubricants imported from Malaysia. In 2016, customs authorities streamlined the procedures for file for IPR and suspended charges, resulting in 8,844 IPR filings last year, up 55 percent year-on-year. Customs seized 7.58 million pieces of goods suspected of infringing the IPR of Chinese companies in 2016, up 13.2 percent from the previous year.

Source: SIPO