More than 10 enterprises were expelled from the Chinese export Commodities Fair, known as Canton Fair, after they were found to be violating intellectual property rights (IPR) or scalping booths, the Guangzhou Daily reported.

About 7,000 of the 13,000 exhibitors had been investigated for IPR violations and booth scalping since the opening of the fair four days ago. Among the enterprises expelled were Liaoning Dashiqiao city garment factory and Qinhai Xinli Rongfang foreign trade company which were also black listed for breaching the rules.

They have also been disqualified for attending the following six export fairs in coming three years.

The DVD6C technology patent group provided a list to the Canton Fair organizers before the opening, asking them to help trace DVD enterprises that had not paid patent fees. A number of multinational companies employed agencies to look into IPR violations at the fair and report to violations to fair organizers.

In the first two days, there were 44 complaints involving 198 exhibitors. Most IPR violations involved industrial mechanical and electrical equipment concentrated in the new Pazhou hall. The violations were mainly design infringements.

Two American officials, Mark A. Cohen, IPR commissioner of the U.S. Embassy and Harvey Alan Somers, director of the Economic and Political Department of U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, went to complaints reception station at Pazhou hall last Friday to ask about the IPR protection process.

To put an end to IPR violations and booth scalping, the quality of exhibitors was fundamental, insiders said.

Editor: Olivia