[IP] The New Chinese counterfeit game
Begin forwarded message:
From: Stuart Gannes <sgannes@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: November 23, 2004 12:07:15 PM EST
To: Dave Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: The New Chinese counterfeit game
Dave,
This, from the International Herald Tribune. Forgers, in twist, file
patents.
http://www.iht.com/bin/print_ipub.php?file=/articles/2004/11/14/
business/chiip.html
Stu Gannes
Stanford Digital Vision Program
International pressure on China to stop its counterfeiters is
producing an unexpected twist. Rather than just copying another
company's product, many Chinese businesses are filing patents and
claiming other intellectual property rights to the counterfeits
locally, in effect becoming the legal owners, at least in China.
Companies in the counterfeiting industry, which make everything from
knock-offs of Calloway golf clubs and Zippo lighters to brand-name
clothes and DVD players for a small fraction of their price in the
West, may then even sue foreign companies for ostensibly stealing
their patented products.
Whereas counterfeiters used to hide from the law, they now use the
law to strengthen their position, legal and trade experts say.
"Chinese industry has a phrase for it," said Xiang Wang, an
intellectual property lawyer at the Shanghai office of the
international law firm White & Case. "They call it 'a Great Wall of
Patents."'
<sip>
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