Zespri International, the largest marketer of kiwifruit globally, has recently achieved progress in the protection of its intellectual property (IP) rights within China. A court in Shanghai has delivered sentences to three individuals, imposing a prison term of three years and nine months for infringing upon Zespri's IP rights. Additionally, each defendant has been fined CNY550,000 (USD76,830).
The convicted parties engaged in purchasing kiwifruit grown in Pujiang county, Sichuan province, and subsequently counterfeited Zespri's registered trademark labels and packaging. The counterfeit products were then sold through online stores, with sales volumes ranging between 650,000 to 850,000 units, yielding approximately CNY3.2 million (USD447,000) in revenue.
Michael Jiang, president of Zespri China, emphasized the court's verdict as a clear stance against the counterfeit use of Zespri trademarks and IP, highlighting its importance in safeguarding Chinese consumers' interests. Ivan Kinsella, vice president of public affairs at Zespri China, expressed satisfaction with the Shanghai court's decision, noting its potential as a deterrent against similar infringements.
In response to the counterfeit activities, Zespri, based in Mount Maunganui, has initiated legal actions against the entities responsible for manufacturing and distributing the counterfeit labels. The company has also addressed the unauthorized cultivation and sale of its kiwifruit varieties in China, noting that no local growers have been officially authorized to cultivate Zespri's kiwifruit varieties. Despite this, unauthorized plantings of Zespri SunGold kiwifruit in China have been estimated at around 8,387 hectares, with production levels comparable to Zespri's total exports to the country.
Source: yicaiglobal.com