Say My Name Say My Name ...No Domain Name For Individuals In China

January 30th, 2010, Verna Yu wrote an interesting article for the South China Morning Post: 'Upset Net Users Show Their Discontent On Censor's Website'. Ms Yu wrote that the website of the government's internet censor in Hunan was attacked by hackers, that were, allegedly unhappy applicants for website approval.

The article explains that in China different levels of communication administrations act as supervisory authorities. For example: Sina.com needed about 10 different licenses from different government authorities for providing their range of internet services.

There is a recent regulation that prohibits to host individually owned websites. Only business licensed or government authorised websites can register domain names in China. The Chinese government said that this measure was taken to rein in the spread of pornography, but some allege the reason is to control the flow of information.

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FEVS: "Mainland China Principal Counterfeiter Wine"

Dominique Schroeder has a good article about counterfeit wine for Agence France-Presse published in the South China Morning Post today.

"The mainland is "the principal counterfeiter", according to Renaud Gaillard, deputy director of the French export trade body, Federation des Exportateurs de Vins et Spriritueux de France (FEVS)."

However, Schroeder points out that unlike luxury goods groups such as LVMH, most vintners do not have the financial resources to fight fake goods. The ones who can pay lawsuits, which cost easily 500,000 euro, they do not want any publicity, because people might associate their products with counterfeit products.

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"Class" Justice in Trademark Rights: Lan Kwai Fong

Lan Kwai Fong, an L-shaped expat-trap of bars and restaurants in Central, Hong Kong Island, founded by Allan Zeman (see its history here), is that well known in China and Macau many registered the name in all kinds of classes.

Neil Gough and Denise Tsang of the South China Morning Post wrote (September 14th) that Allan Zeman, Hong Kong entrepreneur is starting another aggregation of bars and restaurants in Chengdu, Sichuan province. Zeman will called it Lan Kwai Fong. In 2002 several of Zeman's British Virgin Island companies began registering Chinese trademarks for combination of the English and Chinese versions of the name Lan Kwai Fong, for restaurants, housing estate management, and beer.

However, Lan Kwai Fong has been registered in other classes by other people as well:

Luo Ming, Guangzhou (Guangdong province), registered a trademark for shoes, swimwear and other clothing in 2003

Zhuang Shaohai, Shantou (Guangdong province), registered a trademark for handbags and underware in 2006.

Chongqing (Chongqing municipality) registered a trademark for medicinal beverages, disinfactants and women's sanitary napkings.

Then there is the Lan Kwai Fong casino hotel in Macau (Macau SAR), opened last month and Lan Kwai Fong restaurant in Shamian Island on Guangzhou (Guangdong province).

Lan Kwai Fong is a case in point how imporatant your brand name is and that you have to register your tradenames in all classes of products and services that you want to be active in.

Check the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce's trademark database here, click then on login and write down the name. You have to fill in a class number between 1 and 45 (International Trademark Classification under the Nice Agreement). For example class 43 is "Services for providing food and drink; temporary accomodation."

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60 percent of Hong Kong Young Download Films or Music Illegally

Adrian Wan, of the South China Morning of Friday, August 21st, reported that 60 percent of young people in Hong Kong download films or music illegally, according to Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) survey.

17 perent of 559 respondents aged 10 to 24 were unsure whether they were breaking copyright law.

More can be found via the HKFYG website in the article Youth Research Centre and Lakshmi Jacota on the rise of connectivity: statistics and behaviour.

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Suspected Ringleader of Counterfeit Computer Network Equipment Finally Caught

In September a succesful joint operation was carried out by the Shenzhen Public Security Bureau and private security firm I-OnAsia. US$ 25 million worth of counterfeit computer network equipment (sold under international brands such as Nortel, Cisco Systems and Hewlett Packard) was seized and seven people were arrested in 10 raids carried out simultaneously across Shenzhen.

At the time the suspected ringleader, Tony Li Zhendong, got away. May 2 2, he was finally caught, after months of intensive surveillance by I-OnAsia.

A spokesperson for I-OnAsia said:
"After eight’s months tracking on the footprint of him by conducting surveillance and using technology such as GPRS technology, we and ECID [China's Economic Investigation Department] caught the right time to arrest him on the evening of 22 May 2007 in this new apartment in Shenzhen. He was then brought back to the Police Station and now detained for further enquiries and prosecution."

In the South China Morning Post of May 26th, Martin Wong and Nick Gentle report about the events. Read their article here.

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Allegations by Mainland Chinese of HK Counterfeiting Lead To New Consumer Protection for Mainland Chinese in HK

The South China Morning Post, by only offering subscription based articles, has de facto isolated itself from the blogosphere. However, their podcasts are free. So here is the transcription of a remarkable news item related to IPR:

"In City News, Dennis Enright writes about several measures the Travel Industry Council is proposing to shore up HK's image among mainland's tourists. In particular the council wants retailers that sell merchandise to tour groups to offer refunds up to six months from the date of purchase. The proposals come after allegations that an HK retailer sold a mainland tourist expensive counterfeit watches. The council has also proposed limiting the ability of a retailer to change its name and subjecting retailers to a more stringent demerit system. The measures will not be in time for the labour day golden week holiday, which begins next month."

Listen to the SCMP's podcast here (arount the sixth minute).

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