China's customs authority said Wednesday that it seized 108 million pirated goods worth 249 million yuan (US$37.73 million) last year amid a heightened crackdown.

Meng Yang, head of policy and the legal affairs department of the General Administration of Customs (GAC), released the figure at a working conference, adding that the ministry would intensify its clampdown on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) violations and pirated goods.

He added that the GAC now shares information with its counterparts in the United States, European Union, Russia, Japan and South Korea on statistics and case information, as well as participates in human resource exchanges.

Further, cooperation with the United States would be enhanced in 2011, he noted.

China's law enforcement agencies announced Tuesday that vendors of illegally copied films, music or other copyright products on-line will face up to three years in jail in a pledge to crack down on piracy.

(Xinhua News Agency January 13 2011)