Some of the more interesting news stories IP Komodo has spotted this week:
CNN reports on the growth in counterfeit wine trade in China. Destruction of the bottles is now common practice at the auction houses, for original fine wine bottles are not reused. Label errors are a common giveaway, but recorked fine wines (putting a cheaper 85 Lafite Rothschild into an 82 bottle is a high end way to make fakes). Now HK Customs have seized cheaper wines like Mouton Rothschild and Benfolds (Penfolds fakes) have been seen in China, following the rapid market growth. Read here.
AIC stats Here is a wonderful PRC enforcement statistic from SIPO. During a recent enforcement the campaign, AICs mobilized 1.595 million law enforcement officer/times to examine 3.877 million business owners, and 2,955 illicit dens were banned. Always important to focus on the means not the end…
The USTR report on notorious markets that fingers China’s top search engine, Baidu and e-commerce giant Taobao as “notorious markets” for counterfeit and pirated goods is causing consternation in China. Various commentators have come out in defence of the sites, which are of course legitimate business sites as well as used by infringers, arguing that the US is politicizing the issue as regards China, when Ebay has the same problems.
Guest post by IP Komodo Dragon
