Wuhan customs seizes garments infringing on World Cup-related IP

WUHAN - Five cases of intellectual property violations related to 2018 Russia world Cup were seized by Wuhan customs, involving 1,437 soccer garments suspected of infringement of the exclusive rights of brand trademarks such as adidas.

These garments, worth $121,258, included 127 pieces which were marked with "Hercules Cup" and "FIFA" logos.

China Customs launched a four-month "Sino-Russian customs 2018 joint enforcement action on intellectual property protection" beginning in March. It aims to protect the intellectual property rights of the international football federation and sponsoring enterprises.

As part of the effort, Wuhan customs has increased intellectual property knowledge training for the World Cup, upgraded the professional skills of on-site law enforcement officers, and publicized intellectual property protection policies to enterprises through relative films and seminars.

It has also stepped up the investigation of high-risk commodities such as sports shoes, clothing, and luggage, strengthened the control of infringement risks in postal channels, carried out risk analysis, and achieved accurate attacks on infringement.

Liu Jie, deputy chief of the supervision department of the Wuhan customs office working in the post office, said that through publicity, enterprises had developed a deeper understanding of intellectual property protection policies and significantly improved their awareness of respecting and protecting intellectual property.