China has confiscated more than 46.1 million illegal publications in the first half of 2008, including 1.6 million porno and 50,000 smuggled compact discs.

Most of the confiscated publications are pirate books and audio and visual productions. And about 1.07 million copies of illegal newspapers and magazines are also among them, according to the national anti-pornography and anti-piracy office.

In addition, the office reported on Wednesday four copyright infringement cases, three of which involved pirate CDs.

In one case in south China's metropolis of Guangzhou, three illegal audio and visual production warehouses on the fifth floor of a business center were spotted on May 20, and 3.24 million pirate CDs were confiscated. It is said to be the biggest illegal publication case in Guangzhou so far this year.

In another case in southern Shenzhen city, police held up a truck with 182 chests of pirate CDs on freeway.

China has attached great importance to IPR protection, which has been considered as a national strategy to help build an innovative country.

According to official statistics, China has in the past 20 years closed down 238 pirate disc production lines, solved more than 400,000 cases of IPR infringement and confiscated more than 1.3 billion illegal publications

(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2008)