ronniechua / iStockphoto.com
China is still considered the world’s biggest source of counterfeit goods, but is the situation improving, and what can rights owners do to protect themselves? WIPR finds out.
Countless items can be—and are being—counterfeited in China, from drugs, to electronics, to clothing. Even money itself is a target: Chinese news outlets reported that fake banknotes with a face value of RMB214 million ($33.2 million) were seized in Shànweˇi, South China, in January. Counterfeiting isn’t just a branding nightmare: it harms buyers too.
Although mainstream news often focuses on fake designer handbags or clothing, fashion is just one of many industries targeted by counterfeiters. Gordon Gao, partner at Chinese firm Fangda Partners, explains that counterfeiting of handbags and clothing is straightforward, but with counterfeit drugs or technologies, “the issues are usually more complicated or technical” and therefore harder to communicate to the public.
“The counterfeiting of medicines, auto parts, aircraft parts, drinks, and food items should be publicised much more,” says Matthew Murphy, partner at Chinese firm MMLC.
The rest of this article is locked for subscribers only. Please login to continue reading.
If you don't have a login, you will need to purchase a subscription to gain access to this article, including all our online content. Please use this link and follow the steps.
For multi-user price options, or to check if your company has an existing subscription to us that we can add you to for FREE, please email Atif Choudhury at achoudhury@worldipreview.com
Counterfeit fashion, Chinese IP, IP enforcement, Gordon Gao, Alan Chiu, Linda Chang, Matthew Murphy, Chiang Ling Li, online counterfeiting, e-commerce
