China seizes 13 million illegal goods in crackdown

BEIJING – China said it seized about 13 million illegal video, music and print products over the past year in a campaign to tackle fakes and copyright theft.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday that 663 shops producing pirated products, including movies, music CDs, software and books, were shut down from late last year to June.

China has struggled to deal with rampant piracy and the widespread production of bogus goods.

Cracking down on such violations has long been a key demand from foreign businesses in China.

Trade groups say illegal Chinese copying of music, designer clothing and other goods costs legitimate producers billions of dollars a year in lost sales.