Shanghai, PRC (June 8, 2010) – The U.S. Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group, comprised of Acushnet Company, Callaway Golf, Cleveland Golf/Srixon, Nike Golf, PING and TaylorMade, reports that on May 20, 2010, the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau (PSB) issued formal arrest warrants charging two shop owners with selling counterfeit golf equipment at the Shanghai Longhua Apparel Market.
PSB officers conducted simultaneous raids of three golf stores, A Liang Golf, Hao Bei Golf and Orient Golf, and seized more than 630 counterfeit golf clubs, 1,540 counterfeit golf balls, and a number of counterfeit accessories from the golf stores and the shop owners’ residences. The seized goods were illegal copies of authentic products made by all of the Group’s members.
According to information provided to the PSB by the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, the retail stores also conducted online sales of golf equipment through Taobao.com. In an attempt to retrieve the sales records of the online stores, PSB officers visited Taobao headquarters in Hangzhou shortly after the retail store raids. Records indicate that since the opening of the three online stores one year ago, sales of counterfeit golf equipment totaled approximately $30,000. The PSB has now frozen the accounts of the three “online” shops. This enforcement action was conducted after complaints were filed with PSB by the Anti-Counterfeiting Group.
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 five years. Many business operators have been arrested and have now been prosecuted and sentenced in the Chinese courts.
The U.S. Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group consists of the worlds’ leading golf equipment manufacturers. Its members and brands include Acushnet Company, which is comprised of the Titleist and FootJoy brands; Callaway Golf, including the Odyssey, Top-Flite and Ben Hogan brands; Cleveland Golf/Srixon; Nike Golf; PING; and TaylorMade-adidas Golf and Ashworth.
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.
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