China's 20 most important intellectual property (IP) protection cases and events in 2010 were announced in Beijing on Sept 19 along with a list of the field's 10 most influential figures.

It was the first time the central government's three IP watchdogs - the State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO), the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) and the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC) - jointly made selections, an effort "showing the Chinese government's resolve to fight IP infringements", Huang Qing, director of SIPO's protection and coordination department, said at a press conference to announce the findings.

The results show China has made "marked progress" since the national IP strategy was unveiled in 2008, said Liu Yicheng, deputy secretary-general of the Copyright Society of China.

"The announcement of winners is expected to help increase awareness among the public, promote IP culture and advance implementation of the national strategy," Director Huang said.