Five international fashion brands, Gucci, Chanel, Burberry,
Prada and Louis Vuitton, are jointly suing the company that runs
the capital's Silk Market and five of its stalls for selling
counterfeit products. The first hearing was held at Beijing No.2
Intermediate People's Court on Tuesday, with no judgment passed as
yet
"Though the market operator had promised to weed out counterfeit
goods in the market, it failed to keep these knock-offs out," said
the plaintiff's lawyer Gao Hualin. "The company takes no measures
to fight against counterfeiting, and facilitates stalls in selling
fake brands."
They are claiming 2.5 million yuan (US$309,000) in compensation
from Beijing Xiushui Haosen Clothing Market Company and the five
stallholders.
Hundreds of items of bags and garments bearing well-known logos
were produced as evidence to the court, and it had been notarized
that these items were from stalls in the Silk Market.
The market operator pleaded not guilty, claiming it had tried
its best to forbid the sale of fake products in the market, and
they had terminated the contracts of the five stalls being
sued.
The five stallholders questioned the validity of the notarial
certificate, saying it did not prove the products shown in court
were from their booths, and said the amount of compensation sought
was beyond what they could afford.
(China Daily November 3, 2005)
