The US Golf Manufacture Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group recently released the news that, following their largest-ever raid against online sellers of counterfeit golf products in China, Shanghai Pudong Court has sentenced 15 defendants to a cumulative total of 42 years imprisonment and total criminal fines of 3,734,000 RMB (approximately 574,000 USD).
The US Golf Manufacture Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group, which includes well-known brands such as Callaway, Cleveland Golf, Ping, PXG, Taylor Made, etc., is an industry watchdog association formed in 2004 aiming to support international law enforcement against counterfeit golf equipment.
The historic enforcement action took place in 2020 and was carried out by more than 100 police officers in 4 Chinese cities.
10 facilities including manufacturers of clubheads, suppliers of shaft and grip, assembling workshops, shipping centers and online sellers, were raided simultaneously in order to avoid tip-off from among the targets.
Source: www.keepgolfreal.com
More than 120,000 pieces of golf equipment bearing the trademarks of TaylorMade, PXG, Ping, Callaway and more were seized.
The total value of the confiscated goods is over RMB 121 million (1.8 million USD).
15 defendants were detained and arrested later for their roles in the counterfeiting and selling of counterfeit products.
Less than a year after the raid, the verdict of the case was issued in early 2021: 15 defendants were found guilty, among which 13 were convicted for their crime of producing counterfeit products bearing registered trademarks and 2 were convicted for the crime of selling counterfeit products.
It is reported that a 16th defendant was also prosecuted as part of this case, but the outcome of the trial is yet to be announced.
Source: www.keepgolfreal.com
"We are very pleased with the outcome in this case, and we hope it serves as a strong message to any potential counterfeiters and sellers of counterfeit golf products in China or elsewhere that this behavior will not be tolerated.
We will continue to work closely with law enforcement across the globe to take down these counterfeiters, eliminate the selling of these fake products, and protect golfers everywhere" said Jud Hawken, Associate General Counsel for PING in a press release announcing the verdict of the trial.
The development of e-commerce and the convenience of online shopping have facilitated people's ability of selling and buying all kinds of counterfeit products.
With a degree of anonymity and the easy means of shipping, sending products directly to individual consumers has helped to maintain the flow of counterfeit products internationally.
Source: www.keepgolfreal.com
According to the Working Group, more than two million counterfeit golf gears are produced every year, most of them are produced in China and sold globally through online platforms.
Going back to this case, the raid action, which combined online and offline enforcement, was taken as a signal of Chinese law enforcement's increasing willingness, especially under the background of the pandemic, to cooperate with foreign brands to crack down on counterfeiting, and the verdict hopefully has sent a strong message to any potential counterfeiters and sellers in China that such behavior will not be tolerated.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
