Authorities probe fake Italian brands
By Lu Feiran |
March 19, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE country's industrial and commercial authorities are investigating more than 60 domestic brands, including one registered by a Shanghai-based company, that falsely claim they are Italian, the China Youth Daily reported over the weekend.
The Italian Trade Commission established a property rights-protection office in Beijing to investigate the fake Italian brands in July 2010. After collecting evidence for a year, the Italians handed over a list to the China State Administration of Industry and Commerce late last year, on which more than 60 brands were alleged to mislead consumers into thinking they were Italy-based companies.
The companies listed fake addresses and phone numbers in Italy, and the brands had never been registered there.
"The companies delicately made up stories for the origins of the brands," Dai Shengqiao, director of the office, told the newspaper. "For example, a company wrote the number of its Italian headquarters on its promotion pamphlets, but it turned out to be a number of a common residence."
A fake Italian bedding brand, JAJEMoN, shocked officials with its prices. At an exhibition, a JAJEMoN mattress was labeled for 34,000 yuan (US$5,378).
"Its promotion also said that the original retail price of the mattress was 6,000 euros (US$7,902), which was even more expensive than a car," said Dai. "The price of real Italian first-class mattresses is only one tenth of that."
Meanwhile, JAJEMoN said the owner of the brand is an Italian company based in Florence, but the address it provided was fake. The real owner of the brand is the Shanghai Jiali Bedding Co Ltd. The company yesterday was not available for comment.
The administration said its investigation will last for a while. Up to now, the administration has dealt with two brands, Nino Ferletti Italy and Bestibelli Milan.
Recently, fake foreign brands aroused nationwide concern. Over the weekend, Chateaux Lafite Rothschild, the French Bordeaux estate that produces some of the world's most expensive wines, has won six lawsuits against Chinese companies since fake Lafite was found flooding the Chinese market. The firms have been ordered to pay at least 800,000 yuan in compensation.
The Italian Trade Commission established a property rights-protection office in Beijing to investigate the fake Italian brands in July 2010. After collecting evidence for a year, the Italians handed over a list to the China State Administration of Industry and Commerce late last year, on which more than 60 brands were alleged to mislead consumers into thinking they were Italy-based companies.
The companies listed fake addresses and phone numbers in Italy, and the brands had never been registered there.
"The companies delicately made up stories for the origins of the brands," Dai Shengqiao, director of the office, told the newspaper. "For example, a company wrote the number of its Italian headquarters on its promotion pamphlets, but it turned out to be a number of a common residence."
A fake Italian bedding brand, JAJEMoN, shocked officials with its prices. At an exhibition, a JAJEMoN mattress was labeled for 34,000 yuan (US$5,378).
"Its promotion also said that the original retail price of the mattress was 6,000 euros (US$7,902), which was even more expensive than a car," said Dai. "The price of real Italian first-class mattresses is only one tenth of that."
Meanwhile, JAJEMoN said the owner of the brand is an Italian company based in Florence, but the address it provided was fake. The real owner of the brand is the Shanghai Jiali Bedding Co Ltd. The company yesterday was not available for comment.
The administration said its investigation will last for a while. Up to now, the administration has dealt with two brands, Nino Ferletti Italy and Bestibelli Milan.
Recently, fake foreign brands aroused nationwide concern. Over the weekend, Chateaux Lafite Rothschild, the French Bordeaux estate that produces some of the world's most expensive wines, has won six lawsuits against Chinese companies since fake Lafite was found flooding the Chinese market. The firms have been ordered to pay at least 800,000 yuan in compensation.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
