China’s State Administration for Market Regulation Releases Batch of Typical IP Enforcement Cases for 2025

On February 6, 2026, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) released a batch of intellectual property enforcement cases for 2025 (市场监管总局公布一批知识产权执法典型案例). SAMR provides an administrative route for the enforcement of intellectual property in China in addition to civil and criminal enforcement mechanisms. SAMR stated that these cases were released to “fully demonstrate the firm resolve and remarkable achievements of market supervision departments in severely cracking down on infringement and counterfeiting and maintaining a fair and competitive market order.”  Further, the cases show China’s “clear stance of treating domestic and foreign business entities equally and providing equal protection for their intellectual property rights” as illustrated by cases involving counterfeiting of many foreign trademarks including  Gucci, LV, Prada, Burberry, Chanel, Hermes, Dior, Nike, Lululemon, Dyson, Max Mara and more. 

Note that SAMR also concurrently released a batch of typical unfair competition cases in AI.

A translation of the explanation of the cases as provided by SAMR follows. The original text can be found here (Chinese only).

I. Market supervision departments of 28 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) jointly investigated and dealt with the case of “Putian Lai La” chain enterprise infringing on the exclusive rights of 19 brand registered trademarks.

[Case Overview]

During the 2024 intellectual property protection inspection and assessment, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) conducted an undercover investigation and discovered that several brand-name sports shoes sold in the “Putian Laila” store in Zhangye City, Gansu Province, were suspected of infringement and counterfeiting. Following further undercover investigation, on April 18, 2025, the SAMR’s Enforcement and Inspection Bureau organized a joint operation involving market supervision departments from 28 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and 227 counties (districts) nationwide to conduct a concentrated crackdown on a nationwide, large-scale, and systematic trademark infringement case involving “Putian Laila” Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Putian Laila”) and its chain stores. This operation investigated and dealt with 232 stores selling infringing goods, involving 19 brands including Nike, New Balance, Adidas, LV, and MLB, with illegal business revenue reaching 6.544 million RMB.

【Processing Result】

Market supervision departments across the country confiscated 9,719 pairs of counterfeit shoes and 311 pieces (sets) of clothing, imposed fines totaling 2.539 million yuan, and transferred five suspected criminal cases to public security organs. The Fujian Provincial Market Supervision Bureau transferred suspected criminal leads of “Putian Lai La” company to the public security department for investigation.

[Typical Significance]

This case demonstrates the collaborative advantages of the market supervision department’s “nationwide coordinated” intellectual property enforcement, effectively safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of several well-known brands. It also serves as a powerful deterrent against illegal activities that utilize the franchise model to carry out large-scale and covert infringements, showcasing my country’s determination to continuously optimize the business environment and strive to create a first-class business environment that is rule-of-law based and internationalized.

II. The Pizhou Municipal Market Supervision Bureau of Jiangsu Province investigated and dealt with a series of cases involving Jiangsu Andun Construction Co., Ltd. and others selling network equipment that infringed on the exclusive rights of 12 registered trademarks.

[Case Overview]

In August 2024, the Pizhou Municipal Market Supervision Bureau of Jiangsu Province received a referral letter from the Pizhou Municipal Public Security Bureau, reporting that during the investigation of Chen’s counterfeit trademark activities, 113 business entities were found to have purchased infringing goods sold by Chen, and suggesting that administrative penalties be pursued. On May 27, 2025, under the jurisdiction designated by the Jiangsu Provincial Market Supervision Bureau, the Pizhou Municipal Market Supervision Bureau initiated investigations into 23 entities involved in the case, including Jiangsu Andun Construction Co., Ltd., located in nine cities within the province. The investigation revealed that the parties involved, knowing that Chen was distributing goods infringing on registered trademark rights, still purchased the goods at low prices and used them for resale or in contracted projects. The illegal business volume of network equipment such as network cables and patch panels involved totaled over 980,000 RMB, and the counterfeit trademarks included 12 well-known domestic and international brands such as “Kangpu,” “Baitong,” “Tsinghua Tongfang,” and “Datang Telecom,” with a total value exceeding ten million RMB.

【Processing Result】

The party concerned, knowing that the goods infringed upon the exclusive right to use a registered trademark, still purchased them at a low price for sale or construction purposes, constituting an infringement of the exclusive right to use a registered trademark as stipulated in Article 57, Paragraph (3) of the Trademark Law of the People’s Republic of China. In September 2025, the Pizhou Municipal Market Supervision Bureau, in accordance with Article 60, Paragraph 2 of the Trademark Law of the People’s Republic of China, ordered the party concerned to cease the infringing act, confiscated the infringing goods, and imposed a total fine of 846,000 RMB. Case leads and related materials involving other provinces were transferred to the market supervision departments in the locations of the parties concerned for handling.

[Typical Significance]

This series of cases, relying on clues transferred from upstream crimes investigated by public security organs, enabled market supervision departments to precisely target the downstream sales chain, achieving two-way interaction and closed-loop governance between criminal justice and administrative law enforcement, and improving the overall effectiveness of combating infringement and counterfeiting. Through the provincial bureau’s designation of jurisdiction, this case overcame the difficulties of cross-regional law enforcement, unified case-handling standards, and achieved centralized investigation and prosecution of illegal entities in multiple locations within the province, providing a feasible path for the coordinated handling of similar complex cases.

III. A series of cases investigated and handled by the Haining Municipal Market Supervision Bureau of Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, involving Mei’s infringement of the exclusive rights to registered trademarks such as “Max Mara”.

[Case Overview]

In late December 2024, the Haining Municipal Market Supervision Bureau of Zhejiang Province discovered during an online inspection of a micro-store platform that an e-commerce entity was posting numerous images of clothing suspected of infringing on the exclusive rights of well-known trademarks, and the sales volume of these products was substantial. Enforcement officers quickly initiated an investigation, identified the sales and storage location, and immediately conducted an inspection. On-site, they seized 252 pieces of clothing bearing logos such as “Max Mara” and “Christian Dior,” 173 bags bearing logos such as “LV” and “Miumiu,” and over 1,000 cardboard boxes printed with logos such as “Max Mara” and “Chanel.” Through questioning and investigation of the person involved, surnamed Mei, and the extraction of relevant business data, it was discovered that the entity also had multiple upstream suppliers.

In response to the aforementioned illegal activities, the Haining Municipal Market Supervision Bureau, in conjunction with the public security authorities, established a special task force to conduct joint law enforcement against upstream suppliers. A total of 3,684 pieces of clothing bearing the “Max Mara” logo, 8 boxes of various trademark labels, and more than 5,000 hardware items were seized, involving 7 illegal business entities and a total amount exceeding 60 million yuan.

【Processing Result】

The actions of the individuals involved are suspected of constituting a crime, and the relevant case has been transferred to the public security authorities for handling. After accepting the case, the Haining public security authorities conducted an investigation in accordance with the law, arresting a total of 35 suspects and taking criminal coercive measures against 32 of them.

[Typical Significance]

The online sales chain of counterfeit clothing is intricate and complex. Investigating only one sales link in the chain is far from sufficient to combat infringement. This case used the party’s online store as a breakthrough point to deeply investigate the upstream supply chain and discover other sales outlets through it. It successfully dismantled the entire counterfeit production and sales chain, from “making blank clothing—adding hardware—affixing trademarks—online and offline sales,” achieving a comprehensive crackdown on infringement.

IV. The Market Supervision Bureau of Bagongshan District, Huainan City, Anhui Province, investigated and dealt with the case of Wang and others selling audio equipment that infringed on the exclusive rights of the registered trademarks “Marshall” and “Sony”.

[Case Overview]

On December 16, 2024, the Market Supervision Bureau of Bagongshan District, Huainan City, Anhui Province, received a consumer complaint alleging that the Emberton 2nd generation “Marshall” speaker purchased from an e-commerce platform was suspected to be counterfeit. Enforcement officers immediately investigated the leads, retrieving transaction snapshots, logistics information, and business registration information from the e-commerce platform, identifying the sellers as a married couple surnamed Wang and Xu. Due to the seriousness of the case, the Bagongshan District Market Supervision Bureau and the public security authorities established a special task force for a joint investigation. The investigation revealed that since January 2023, Wang and Xu had registered seven online stores under names such as “False Believer” and “Music-Loving Zisu,” selling counterfeit “Marshall,” “Sony,” and other brand audio equipment. A review of 10,760 transaction records showed a total amount involved exceeding 14 million RMB, covering more than 20 provinces. In February 2025, the task force seized over 500 counterfeit speakers, over 2,000 sets of packaging materials, and several sets of equipment used in the crime.

【Processing Result】

The party involved purchased counterfeit products through illegal channels and sold them under the guise of “genuine overstock” and “overseas purchase.” The amount of illegal business exceeded the threshold for criminal prosecution, and their actions are suspected of constituting the crime of selling counterfeit registered trademark goods under Article 214 of the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China. On March 10, 2025, the Bagongshan District Market Supervision Bureau transferred the case to the public security authorities for further processing.

[Typical Significance]

This case involved numerous individuals and a wide geographical area. The illegal merchants used multiple online stores to sell counterfeit goods, making it highly covert and involving a huge sum of money, seriously infringing on intellectual property rights and consumer rights. During the investigation, law enforcement officers used electronic data collection and big data analysis to accurately secure evidence, effectively overcoming the obstacles and difficulties of high concealment and evidence collection in online infringement cases, thus improving the efficiency of case handling.

V. The case of Guo Moumou infringing on the exclusive rights of the registered trademarks “Arc’teryx”, “Descente”, and “The North Face” investigated and dealt with by the Mengzhou Municipal Market Supervision Bureau of Henan Province.

[Case Overview]

In December 2024, the Mengzhou Municipal Market Supervision Bureau in Henan Province received a report from the public that two warehouses in its jurisdiction were storing counterfeit clothing. The bureau immediately launched an investigation and seized 70 packages of clothing bearing trademarks such as “Arc’teryx,” “Descente,” and “The North Face.” The packaging bags were printed with information such as “Recipient: Guo XX, Nanzhuang Town, Mengzhou, Henan (185****1390).” An inventory revealed 2,350 pairs of trousers and 531 jackets bearing the “Arc’teryx” logo, 740 jackets bearing the “Descente” logo, and 230 windbreakers and 693 down jackets bearing the “The North Face” logo.

Because Guo, the party involved, was unable to provide legal source materials such as supplier qualification certificates and purchase invoices for the relevant brands, the Mengzhou Municipal Market Supervision Bureau took administrative enforcement measures against the aforementioned clothing and initiated a further investigation. After identification by the relevant trademark holders, it was confirmed that the clothing was all infringing goods, with a total value of 9.988 million RMB.

【Processing Result】

The actions of the parties involved are suspected of constituting a crime and have been transferred to the public security authorities for handling in accordance with the law. Currently, two criminal suspects have been arrested, and the parties involved in this case have been prosecuted. The case is still under further investigation.

[Typical Significance]

This case is a typical example of infringement of registered trademark rights. The market supervision department quickly collected evidence and contacted the trademark holder for identification. Simultaneously, it strengthened enforcement coordination with judicial authorities, immediately initiated source tracing, and promptly prevented counterfeit brand clothing from entering the market. This case also serves as a warning to relevant businesses, urging them to strictly implement their obligations to inspect incoming goods; selling goods that infringe on registered trademark rights will inevitably be severely punished by law.

VI. The Guangdong Provincial Market Supervision Department investigated and dealt with the case of Chen Mouhui and others infringing on the exclusive rights of the registered trademarks “Dyson” and “PHILIPS”.

[Case Update]

In March and September 2025, based on clues provided by rights holders, the Guangdong Provincial Administration for Market Regulation organized market regulation departments in Shenzhen and Dongguan to inspect six dens in Shenzhen and Dongguan that were producing and selling counterfeit vacuum cleaners, hair styling tools, and hair dryers bearing the registered trademarks “Dyson” and “PHILIPS”. The two operations uncovered over 5,400 counterfeit products bearing the “Dyson” and “PHILIPS” logos, including hair dryers, hair styling tools, and vacuum cleaners, as well as over 760 finished hair dryers and over 80 finished hair styling heating rods bearing the “Dyson” logo, with a total value of 19.2 million yuan. Investigation revealed that Chen XX and others, without obtaining permission to use the registered trademarks “Dyson” and “PHILIPS”, processed products bearing the “Dyson” and “PHILIPS” logos, constituting an infringement of the exclusive right to use a registered trademark as stipulated in Article 57, Paragraph (1) of the Trademark Law of the People’s Republic of China.

【Processing Result】

The actions of the parties involved are suspected of constituting a crime, and the case has been transferred to the public security authorities for handling in accordance with the law. Three people have been criminally detained.

[Typical Significance]

This case is one of the successful examples of Guangdong Province’s implementation of the government-enterprise cooperation mechanism for protecting brands, strengthening the connection between administrative and criminal law enforcement, and thoroughly investigating the source of production and sales to combat infringement and counterfeiting. Since the launch of the “Protecting Intellectual Property Rights” special campaign, Guangdong’s market supervision departments have strengthened communication with brand enterprises, mobilized their enthusiasm for rights protection, and actively leveraged the role of rights holders in infringement investigations and product identification. This case, through precise clues provided by the rights holder, completely dismantled the counterfeit production and sales chain at its source, successfully transferred the case to judicial authorities for processing, and ensured that the perpetrators were severely punished by law.

VII. The Wuzhou Municipal Market Supervision Bureau of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region investigated and dealt with the case of Bao XX’s gang infringing on the exclusive right to use the registered trademarks “Lululemon”.

[Case Overview]

In April 2025, the Wuzhou Municipal Market Supervision Bureau of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, acting on a tip-off from a trademark holder, conducted a surprise enforcement operation in conjunction with local public security authorities, seizing 5,105 pieces of clothing suspected of counterfeiting registered trademarks such as “Lululemon”. An investigation revealed that since March 2024, Bao XX, along with Yi XX, Huang XX, and two others, conspired to order counterfeit clothing online and registered five online stores using other people’s identities to sell the infringing products. According to the relevant trademark holders, the value of the seized counterfeit clothing reached 4.9949 million RMB. It was further ascertained that the group had sold over 9,000 pieces of counterfeit clothing through their online stores, with a total illegal business volume of 14.9527 million RMB.

【Processing Result】

The party’s act of selling goods infringing on the exclusive right to use a registered trademark constitutes an infringement of the exclusive right to use a registered trademark as stipulated in Article 57 of the Trademark Law of the People’s Republic of China. Furthermore, the circumstances are serious and suspected of constituting a criminal offense. Law enforcement authorities have transferred the case to the public security organs for handling in accordance with the law. Currently, the party has been prosecuted.

[Typical Significance]

In this case, the Wuzhou Municipal Market Supervision Bureau conducted thorough preliminary investigations, prepared contingency plans, and coordinated with the public security authorities to intervene in advance on the day of the operation. Based on the information obtained from the investigation, law enforcement officers focused on collecting evidence from the parties’ computers, quickly identifying important information such as the online store, and promptly transferred the case to the public security authorities for handling, ensuring the smooth entry of the case into the criminal justice process.

VIII. A series of cases investigated and dealt with by the Yuzhong District Market Supervision Bureau of Chongqing Municipality involving a clothing store and others for infringing on the exclusive rights of the registered trademarks “GUCCI” and “LV”.

[Case Overview]

Since 2024, according to reports from shopping mall organizers and some brand operators in the Jiefangbei commercial district, there have been suspected cases of selling goods infringing on registered trademark rights in some buildings within the district. Based on reports from rights holders and shared leads with the Yuzhong District Public Security Bureau, the Yuzhong District Market Supervision Bureau of Chongqing Municipality, after in-depth analysis, established a special task force in conjunction with the Jiefangbei CBD Management Committee and the Yuzhong District Public Security Bureau. The task force conducted surprise inspections of five hidden businesses, including a clothing store in Yuzhong District and a business owned by Mr. Wu, located in the Jiefangbei commercial district. A total of 682 items, including clothing and bags bearing the logos of internationally renowned brands such as “GUCCI,” “LV,” “PRADA,” “Burberry,” “CHANEL,” “HERMES,” and “DIOR,” were seized on-site. The rights holders identified these as infringing goods. Enforcement officers immediately seized the infringing goods according to law.

【Processing Result】

The market supervision department imposed administrative penalties on the above five parties for selling infringing registered trademarks in the building, confiscating a total of 682 infringing goods and imposing fines and confiscations of 564,300 RMB.

[Typical Significance]

In this series of cases, the businesses involved adopted a highly covert operating model, using “Yangerke” (a form of advertising) to attract customers in commercial areas and employing a novel illegal business model of “operating behind closed doors with surveillance and sentry duty” to evade law enforcement supervision. The Yuzhong District Market Supervision Bureau, through a rapid linkage model involving pre-emptive police intervention, follow-up investigations by market supervision, and technical support from rights holders, solved the problem of enforcement in concealed spaces, providing replicable practical experience for investigating and handling infringement cases in concealed spaces.

IX. The Tongren Municipal Market Supervision Bureau of Guizhou Province investigated and dealt with the case of Guizhou Longwei Supply Chain Co., Ltd. infringing on the exclusive right to use the registered trademark “ “.

[Case Overview]

In March 2025, the Tongren Municipal Market Supervision Bureau of Guizhou Province received a report from Nike Sports (China) Co., Ltd., alleging that Guizhou Longwei Supply Chain Co., Ltd. was suspected of producing sports shoes infringing on its registered trademark rights. Upon receiving the report, the Tongren Municipal Market Supervision Bureau, in conjunction with the Dejiang County Public Security Bureau and the County Market Supervision Bureau, quickly conducted an on-site inspection and seized a total of 7,821 pairs of counterfeit sports shoes bearing the registered trademarks “ ” and ” ” in the finished product warehouse of the party involved. Preliminary calculations indicate that the amount involved exceeds 3.94 million RMB.

【Processing Result】

The actions of the parties involved are suspected of constituting the crime of counterfeiting registered trademarks, and law enforcement agencies have transferred the case to the public security authorities for investigation. Currently, the relevant individuals involved have been placed under compulsory measures of release on bail pending trial in accordance with the law.

[Typical Significance]

In this case, the market supervision department and the public security organs intervened simultaneously and conducted a joint investigation, demonstrating the complementary advantages and seamless connection between intellectual property law enforcement protection and criminal justice protection. The severe punishment of the case showcases China’s clear stance of treating domestic and foreign business entities equally and providing equal protection for their intellectual property rights. By precisely targeting the source of production, the influx of infringing and counterfeit goods into the market was effectively curbed, thus purifying the market environment.

X. The Urumqi Municipal Market Supervision Bureau of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region investigated and dealt with the case of Chen infringing on the exclusive right to use the “Modern” registered trademark.

[Case Overview]

On July 22, 2025, based on clues discovered during routine inspections, the Urumqi Municipal Market Supervision Bureau conducted an enforcement inspection of Chen’s business premises. A batch of brake pads, spark plugs, air filters, labels, and outer packaging boxes bearing the “Hyundai” trademark were found on site, totaling 134 types and 8,550 items. The product labels were incomplete and unclear, and the manufacturer’s name and address, as well as the certificates of conformity, were not standardized or complete. The party involved had also failed to fulfill their obligation to inspect the goods upon purchase. The trademark holder identified the parts as infringing on the exclusive right to use a registered trademark. Investigation revealed that the party involved had been purchasing counterfeit Hyundai and Kia auto parts and selling them in the Urumqi Auto Parts City since 2025, with a total value exceeding 1.58 million RMB.

【Processing Result】

The actions of the person involved are suspected of constituting a crime, and this case has been transferred to the public security authorities for handling in accordance with the law. Currently, the public security authorities have taken criminal coercive measures against the suspect, Chen.

[Typical Significance]

In this case, the market supervision department proactively discovered clues through routine supervision, acted swiftly, and seized a large number of counterfeit brand accessories, effectively preventing potentially unsafe products from entering the market. Simultaneously, due to the substantial amount involved, the case was transferred to the judicial authorities for criminal prosecution, fully demonstrating the effective operation of the mechanism connecting administrative law enforcement and criminal justice. This serves as a powerful deterrent to illegal operators, warning all businesses to strictly adhere to the legal bottom line, earnestly fulfill their obligations to inspect goods upon purchase, and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of registered trademark holders and a fair competitive market environment.