Store Owner at Beijing Yashow Market Arrested and Charged with Selling Counterfeit Golf Equipment

2010-09-27

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Beijing, PRC - The U.S. Golf Manufacturers  Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group (the "Anti-Counterfeiting Group") reports  that on September 14, the Public Security Bureau ("PSB") conducted a  successful raid leading to the arrest of the owner of a golf equipment store  at the Beijing Yashow Market and the seizure of thousands of counterfeit golf  products. 

The Yashow Market is one of several shopping centers in  Beijing that are frequented by tourists and others in search of bargains on  "brand-name" products, including golf clubs, balls, shoes, apparel and other  accessories. After the Anti-Counterfeiting Group notified the PSB that illegal  copies of genuine golf products were being sold at the market, the PSB  conducted an extensive investigation and seized 7,747 counterfeit golf clubs,  balls, shoes, hats, gloves, bags, caps and other accessories. The local  pricing bureau determined that the value of the seized clubs and other  counterfeit equipment was $850,746 (USD) or 5,738,340 (RMB) based upon the  retail price of authentic goods. A criminal detention warrant was then issued  for Mr. Wei Si-xu, the owner of Booth No. 4155 at the market.

As part  of the investigation, the PSB uncovered a warehouse where hundreds of  counterfeit golf products were being stored for future sale at the market. PSB  officers utilized sophisticated surveillance techniques to track the suspect  and identify the warehouse.

The Anti-Counterfeiting Group commends the  PSB officers for their cooperation and exceptional effort in stopping the sale  of counterfeit golf products at the Yashow Market. The Group believes that the  raid should pave the way for future enforcement action against other vendors  of counterfeit golf products at similar markets in Beijing.

The  Anti-Counterfeiting Group consists of the world's leading golf equipment  manufacturers. Its members and brands include Acushnet Company - Titleist and  FootJoy; Callaway Golf - Odyssey, Top-Flite and Ben Hogan; Cleveland Golf  /Srixon and Never Compromise; Nike Golf; PING; and TaylorMade-adidas Golf and  Ashworth. The Anti-Counterfeiting Group was formed in 2004 to petition  governments to enforce their country's laws against counterfeiters of golf  equipment products. As a result of the Anti-Counterfeiting Group's petitioning  efforts, dozens of successful raids of manufacturing, warehouse, assembly and  retail facilities have been executed by Chinese law enforcement and civil  enforcement authorities over the past six years. Many business operators have  been arrested and have now been prosecuted and sentenced in the Chinese  courts.

For more information, please contact the Anti-Counterfeiting  Group's legal counsel, Wayne Mack of Duane Morris LLP, 30 S. 17th St.,  Philadelphia, PA 19103, (215) 979-1152, wamack@duanemorris.com