The General Administration of Customs has invited representatives from 72 foreign-invested companies to a discussion on intellectual property (IP) protection in Ningbo, a port city in Zhejiang Province, East China.
During Wednesday's discussion, officials from Ningbo and Hangzhou customs, two main checkpoints liable for preventing counterfeit goods from entering and exiting Zhejiang and other eastern provinces, agreed with the business circle that they have to make concerted efforts to protect IP and fight counterfeit goods.
Representatives from Gillette and Nike briefed the customs officials on how to distinguish counterfeit products and expressed thanks for the customs' sustained efforts to protect their IP.
Earlier this year, Ningbo customs seized counterfeit Gillette and Nike products for export. Officials say they have seized 22 such cases since last year, involving 7.25 million yuan (US$873,000) in total.
A source from China Association of Foreign-Funded Enterprises said the joint effort between the customs and the enterprises is a positive move to fight counterfeit goods, which are causing huge economic losses to China every year.
(Xinhua 08/30/2001)
