Watchdog steps up fight against IPR infringement

Shanghai's market watchdog made public 10 typical cases of IPR infringement on Friday, World Intellectual Property Day.

Shanghai Market Supervision and Management Bureau busted more than 5,100 cases of infringement last year, collecting a total of 78.5 million yuan (US$12 million). The Shanghai customs handled 374 cases, a rise of 21 percent from a year earlier, involving 5.5 million products worth 67 million yuan. Police apprehended 556 suspects. 

Among the cases was that of the Yershari Restaurant. It was fined 6,000 yuan by the Pudong New Area Intellectual Property Administration, as the restaurant's menu contained the words of "patent protection" and "dishware design patent product," but no such patent existed. 

In another case, more than 1,000 fake Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirts, sweaters, and trousers were confiscated at the ASE Mall in Xuhui District in April last year. Two people were sentenced to three years in prison with a three-year reprieve and fined 50,000 yuan each. 

Shanghai Yawen Co Ltd was fined 177,043 yuan by Songjiang District Market Supervision and Management Bureau for selling fakes of Swedish luxury brand Acne Studios online.