The Silk Street Market in Beijing, which has long offered copies
of international designer and branded goods, has unveiled its own
brand-SILKSTREET-and warned that anyone who tries to counterfeit
that brand will be held liable.
The first items to bear the SILKSTREET name, displayed on
Wednesday, include apparel such as neckties, shirts and scarves, as
well as a few household items such as tablecloths. They are marked
"quality guaranteed" with a label that tells buyers that "the goods
are certified by the Silk Street Market. If any quality problems
are found, the market will bear the responsibility of
compensation."
"SILKSTREET products are sold exclusively in the market. Anyone
using the brand outside will be held liable," the Beijing Evening
News quoted Wang Zili, general manager of the market, as
saying.
Nearly 100 stalls connected with 39 market shops will be
entitled to sell the goods initially. T-shirts, jeans, knitted
goods, jewelry, luggage and other items will be added to the
product line, Wang said.
Those now authorized to sell SILKSTREET products had to have a
good business record, said Wang, with "no record of selling fake or
shoddy products within six months and no [customer]
complaints."
Most of the SILKMARKET items come from the factories of famous
Chinese manufacturers. For instance, shirts come from the
century-old silk company Ruifuxiang, according to the
newspaper.
Market administrators believed that establishing the brand would
be an important step to protect intellectual property rights, the
report said.
The Silk Street (Xiushui) market in eastern Beijing's Chaoyang
District has become popular with overseas tourists, who have
flocked there to buy counterfeit and knock-off luxury clothes and
accessories since 1985.
In March 2005, the outdoor market moved to a multi-story
building next to Xiushui Street for better management.
(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2008)