The Glorious People's Republic of China has locked up 4,000 who dared to rip off the Imperialist pig dogs of the West and steal their decadent technology.

According to the Chinese press, more than 4,000 people have been arrested for violating intellectual property rights (IPR) since November. The Chinese government has promised to enforce tougher punishments to combat the "rampant" problem.

Gao Feng, deputy director of the Ministry of Public Security's Economic Crimes Investigation Bureau, told a news conference that his agency had uncovered more than 2,000 cases since China launched its Glorious six-month campaign. It has found the financial value of the cases to be about $348 million, Gao said, adding that the number of arrests, cases and financial value represent a tripling from the same period a year ago. Gao said that in one hand it was a glorious demonstration that the People's Republic had made the world on the effectiveness of its policing.

On the other hand it did indicate that pirates were not that tricky to find and IP violation is still quite rampant and frequent. Pirated goods are still on Chinese streets and in shops, sometimes sold within sight of large propaganda posters denouncing IPR violations. China is planning to bring in tougher penalties against IP thieves, he said.

Of course some of this is due to mounting pressure from the United States, China has vowed harsher punishment of copyright piracy, responding with a six-month campaign aimed at counterfeit books, music, DVDs and software, in an effort to show that the country is serious about tackling the problem.