After years of working with Chinese authorities to enforce its intellectual property rights, Columbia Sportswear reached a milestone last week by not only securing its first conviction of counterfeiters in China, but securing jail terms for them.
COLM announced last week that the Huangpu District People’s Court of Shanghai convicted three individuals for distributing counterfeit Columbia brand products in Shanghai. The conviction involved allegations from a Dec. 29, 2010 raid during which Chinese authorities seized nearly 7,000 counterfeit garments, including almost 2,000 counterfeit Columbia products, with a combined street value of approximately $2.7 million.
The goods were seized from two retail outlets and two warehouses in Shanghai operated by Shen Xianxiang who, along with two employees, was convicted of distributing the counterfeit goods.
Shen was sentenced to 10 months in jail, while each of the two employees will serve 6 months. A Columbia spokesman told Sports Executive Weekly that is was very rare in these cases for sentencing to include prison time. All three infringers were also fined.
“We take our brand and image very seriously and will use every available legal tactic to stop the unauthorized use of our name, designs and trademarks,” said John Motley, Columbia’s associate general counsel and director of intellectual property.
“We believe it’s a matter of principle and integrity to protect loyal Columbia customers from imposters. We are thankful to the Huangpu District Public Security Bureau for their efforts in seizing the goods and the perpetrators. We also thank the Huangou District People’s Court for handing down sentences that send a clear message of deterrence to all counterfeiters.”
