The Public Security authorities in Guangdong, by organizing special-purpose actions and coordinated crackdown campaigns, and closely supervising severe and influential cases, kept escalating the intensity in combating criminal activities of IP infringement, and secured prominent accomplishments. In 2003, altogether 288 cases were registered, involving 170 million RMB worth of goods; 217 cases, or three quarters of the total, were cracked, saving for the country an economic loss of 14 million RMB. On January 22, 2003, the Provincial Public Security Department organized Guangzhou and Shenzhen public security agencies to have successfully cracked a highly severe criminal case of IP infringement, where an organized group headed by Zou Yuanyi manufactured and marketed counterfeit printer cartridges of EPSON, HP and other famous brands; the security force destroyed 8 fake production and sale centers, captured 16 suspects (including the group leader Zou Yuanyi, hard-core members Zhou Yonghui and Gui Liqing), ten of whom were criminally detained, and in addition, seized 34 machines for producing counterfeit printer cartridges, along with 1,272 thousand fake printer cartridges of EPSON, HP and CANON brands, involving over 70 million worth of goods. On August 17, 2003, Dongguan Municipal Public Security force cracked a severe case of counterfeit smuggling, whereby destroying a warehouse of fake commodities, and seizing 8 suspected criminals, along with 2993 cartons of fake cigarettes of HONGTASHAN, SUPERKING and other famous brands in addition to a large quantity of counterfeit handbags and pirated CDs.

During the special period of "April 26" (the World Intellectual Property Day), the Provincial Public Security Department organized a series of special actions against crimes of IP infringement; the security force across Guangdong cleared up key areas, key markets, and key products, and in four cities (Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhuhai, and Jiangmen) alone, the Public Security force seized and investigated 18 cases of manufacturing and marketing pirated CDs and audio-visual products, whereby 21 counterfeit production hubs were demolished, 108 suspects captured (17 of whom criminally detained), 2,450,000 (2 million and 450 thousand) CDs seized along with over 60,000 pirated books, 46 manufacturing machines and plenty of fake cosmetics, cigarettes, wine, liquor, printer cartridges and other articles, involving altogether over 82,220,000 (82 million and 200 thousand) RMB worth of goods. In addition, counterfeit goods seized by the Dongguan Public Security authority included approximately 50,000 fake marks of "MONY", around 30,000 fake MONTAGUT shorts, 110 counterfeit ROLEX watches, and 2700 bottles of liquor counterfeiting the TUO brand.

As directed by the Guangdong Government, the Provincial Public Security Department, beginning October 29, 2003, via organizing the Public Security agencies all over Guangdong, launched a five-month campaign against producing and selling fake cigarettes. During the campaign, public security authorities at all levels, in close cooperation with Tobacco Marketing administration agencies, cracked a number of severe and influential cases. According to statistical data, during the action period, a total of 102 cases were cracked, where 857 suspects were captured and, among them, 458 criminally detained, 212 arrested, and 44 sentenced; 129 counterfeit cigarettes manufacturing pits smashed up, and 290 machines for making fake cigarettes seized; the worth of goods involved totaled over 130,054,000 (130 million and 54 thousand) RMB.

Source: Office of Intellectual Property Protection Committee of the People¡¯s Government of Guangdong Province

Translated by: Li wei

Editor: Wing