The New Chinese counterfeit game

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Stuart Gannes <sgannes () stanford edu>
Date: November 23, 2004 12:07:15 PM EST
To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
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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