Propaganda Time: PRC Campaigns Against Fakeries

Counterfeiting crime in China doesn't pay...or at least that's what they'd like to portray.

Chinese officialdom's reaction to the PRC's image as a manufacturer of copycat products--knock-offs, fakeries, and so forth--has been consistent. That is to say, it publicly discourages the manufacture of such items. Aside from making China vulnerable to copyright and trademark infringement suits, it does not do the national image any favors. You can of course argue that these same authorities have actually been loath to crack down on the manufacture and sale of such fakeries insofar as they remain a source of livelihood for some citizens, but the official line is that they are unwelcome.

How unwelcome? Visiting the China Daily recently reminded me that they have an entire section dedicated to the "fight against counterfeit goods":

China has been the manufacturing powerhouse for some decades. By capturing 22 percent of the global manufacturing market, the country makes and sells everything from needles to cars.

But industrial-scale production has also created some problems. Companies looking to make a quick buck have taken to making counterfeit products. To crack down on this practice that not only hurts consumers, but also the country’s trade, the government has stepped up its drive to reform legal infrastructure and amend copyright, patent and trademark laws.

Aside from stories of enforcement--or better yet, the difficulties of enforcement when there are admittedly a lot of counterfeits still being made in China--others of interest include those of former fake makers going legit. For instance, see this one on motorcycle parts:

When Yu Guoping came to Guangzhou two decades ago, he dreamed nothing more than just selling bunches of Chinese motorcycle accessories to businessmen from home and abroad. He didn't really care which brand he was selling or whether the quality deserved the price, as long as he made as much money as he could to feed and clothe and shelter himself in the emerging southern city.

"The market was largely unchecked back in those days when counterfeit and low-quality goods were rife," said Yu, admitting that prices trumped all when selling Chinese products without the protection of intellectual property rights. However, profits lure competitors, which then squeezes profits. Yu had to find another way to keep his business from continued slowdown and survive highs and lows of trade. 

There inevitably comes the "aha" moment:

He established his own brand, with the trademark of YGP, in 2008, targeting mainly African countries. "Promoting a new brand is like raising your own baby. It may be tough at first, but the boy will become strong and stand out if given time and efforts," said Yu. "You don't have much leeway of pricing if you keep selling other companies' products."

The neat thing about official sources is that they seldom deviate from the state-promoted line regardless of their veracity, and it's no different here.