Chinese procuratorial authorities handled about 134,000 intellectual property cases nationwide between January 2021 and September 2026, reflecting China’s continuing efforts to strengthen judicial protection of innovation and IP rights, according to a Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) report delivered Tuesday.
The report was delivered to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) during its 25th session and covered criminal, civil, administrative and public-interest litigation matters handled by procuratorial organs nationwide.
Of the 134,000 IP cases, about 118,000 were criminal cases, 7,514 were civil litigation-supervision cases, 5,393 were administrative litigation-supervision cases and 2,864 involved public-interest litigation, according to the report.
During the same period, procuratorial authorities approved the arrest of about 36,000 individuals for IP-related crimes and initiated public prosecutions against about 96,000 individuals.
The figures highlight the broad role of China’s procuratorial system in IP protection, extending beyond criminal enforcement to include supervision of civil and administrative litigation as well as public-interest proceedings.
In technology-intensive fields, prosecutors handled 1,062 civil and administrative litigation supervision cases involving patents, technical secrets, new plant varieties and integrated circuit layout designs. Authorities also prosecuted 873 individuals for crimes including trade secret infringement and patent counterfeiting.
The report separately highlighted enforcement efforts involving the digital economy. Procuratorial authorities prosecuted about 24,000 individuals for data security-related crimes in sectors including artificial intelligence and ecommerce.
Foreign-related IP protection was another area of focus. Between January 2021 and September 2026, procuratorial authorities prosecuted 9,539 individuals for foreign-related IP infringement crimes, according to the report.
The SPP said prosecutors strengthened judicial protection of China’s overseas interests and supported domestic businesses expanding into international markets and responding to IP disputes abroad. Authorities also deepened exchanges with international organizations, including the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the International Trademark Association (INTA), as part of China’s participation in global IP governance.
The latest figures follow efforts by the SPP to strengthen specialized IP prosecution capabilities. In April 2026, the agency published its White Paper on Intellectual Property Prosecution Work (2025), outlining its work across criminal, civil, administrative and public-interest litigation.
The white paper also stated that the SPP established a dedicated Intellectual Property Procuratorial Department in 2025, describing the move as a further step toward the specialized and integrated development of intellectual property prosecution work. The agency said it would continue strengthening professional expertise and improving legal protection for innovation and emerging technologies.
The figures covering January 2021 to September 2026 provide a snapshot of China’s IP enforcement framework, which encompasses criminal prosecutions, litigation supervision, public-interest proceedings and support for businesses involved in domestic and cross-border intellectual property disputes.
- Cathy Li
