The World Cup has come to an end, with mascots hard to tell real from fake.
[4] Compiled from: Red Star News
Case review
The Hangzhou Xiaoshan District Public Security Bureau recently cracked down on a gang that illegally produced and sold peripheral products of the World Cup mascot "La'eeb" without authorization, involving an amount of over 60 million yuan. The suspects have been subjected to criminal coercive measures.
Xiaoshan police previously received a report from a local cultural and creative enterprise, stating that its FIFA-authorized World Cup mascot figurine "La'eeb," produced and sold in China, had been counterfeited. The police task force quickly investigated the case and identified the suspects. On the 14th, Xiaoshan police deployed officers and, with the assistance of Guangdong police, apprehended four suspects including Luo Moumou, raided one production and packaging site and one agent site, and seized a large number of counterfeit "La'eeb" figurines, accessories, and packaging boxes.
According to reports, since October, the main members of the gang, the three Luo brothers (from Guangdong, all born in the 1990s), ordered accessories through online distribution platforms, assembled and packaged them themselves, then recruited agents for sales online, profiting from the World Cup craze.
"Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China"
Article 214: [Crime of Selling Goods Bearing Counterfeit Registered Trademarks]
Whoever knowingly sells goods bearing counterfeit registered trademarks, with a relatively large amount of illegal gains or other serious circumstances, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years and/or fined; if the amount of illegal gains is huge or there are other particularly serious circumstances, the sentence shall be fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years and not more than ten years, and a fine.
[1] The author's perspective
Recently, with the World Cup fever, a series of business opportunities have emerged. In fact, counterfeit products of mascot figurines from major sports events always surface, from the Winter Olympics' Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon to the current World Cup's La'eeb. Taking advantage of the event's momentum, some unscrupulous merchants try to make a quick profit, thinking it's just unethical business behavior, but in reality, it has already crossed into criminal liability.
From the above legal provisions, this crime is not just about selling counterfeit goods; it more deeply infringes on registered trademark rights. In recent years, China has continuously strengthened intellectual property protection, both to improve the domestic legal system and to respond to international calls for IP protection. The reason intellectual property requires such rigorous protection is, on one hand, that it represents the fruits of labor and creativity, and without comprehensive protection, it is too easily counterfeited and infringed. On the other hand, if products with trademark rights on the market are indistinguishable from fakes, market operations will descend into chaos.
