Chinese prosecutors have approved the arrests of 304 people in 173 cases of violating trademark rights since a crackdown began in October, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the suspects arrested for intellectual property rights (IPR) infringement.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said Wednesday that 439 people had been arrested in 239 cases of IPR infringement since the six-month national campaign to crackdown on IPR infringement and production and sale of counterfeit or shoddy goods started in October.

The others arrested for IPR infringement include those violating copyright and commercial secrets, the SPP said in a statement to Xinhua.

The SPP also approved the arrest of another 414 people in connection with 228 cases of producing and selling counterfeit goods since the campaign started.

During this same period, Chinese prosecutors indicted 1,169 people in 600 cases of IPR infringement and production and sale of counterfeit or shoddy goods, the statement said.

The State Council, China's cabinet, launched the crackdown campaign in October.

(Source: Xinhua)