The push for an innovation-based economy and growing public awareness has resulted in a soaring number of lawsuits involving intellectual property rights (IPR), a top court official said.

Last year 66,000 IPR cases went to litigation, up 37.7 percent on 2010, Chief Justice Wang Shengjun said on March 11 while presenting a work report on the top court to the national legislature. The litigation jump is bigger than those for lawsuits in other categories.

The reason for the rise is growing public awareness and China's vigorous push for science and cultural industries, legislators said.

(Source: China Daily)