Beijing has been struck by a desperate shortage of pirated DVDs, clothes and handbags.
BEIJING has been struck by a desperate shortage of pirated DVDs, clothes and handbags.
The city's popular DVD stores, usually stacked with $1 copies of new release films including some that haven't been officially distributed in China, have been stripped bare - aside from a dusty assortment of old Audrey Hepburn movies.
Shopkeepers at Beijing's Silk Market, with 1500 stalls, have replaced walls of Polo shirts and Abercrombie & Fitch jumpers with ''I Love Beijing'' T-shirts, while the trade in fake international brands has been confined to the boots of cars outside.
Thankfully, from the point of view of store owners and illicit bargain hunters - and despite a banner above the market's entry that translates as ''attack IP violating behaviour safeguard market economy order'' - the usual counterfeit stocks will be back on the shelves as soon as international delegates to a major intellectual property conference have safely returned home.
''Come back on the 30th,'' said one shop assistant at the Silk Market, who normally stocks fake Polo shirts.
The reason for the empty shelves and Potemkin displays is that Beijing has been hosting the World Intellectual Property Convention where delegates signed the Beijing Treaty on Protecting Audiovisual Performances. Liu Qi, Politburo member and Beijing Party boss, said it was the pride of Beijing.
''Respect for intellectual property is a must,'' he said after the convention closed yesterday. ''We will grasp this opportunity to further strengthen intellectual property and build Beijing as the first city of IP.''
True to his word, in the high-end designer section of the Zoo Markets, store owners were carefully picking the labels off what looked like designer dresses and storing them in bags.
Labels for Prada, Gucci, Hermes, Lanvin, Chloe, Givenchy and Diane von Furstenberg were bagged and stored against the counter, ready to be sewn back on after the convention delegates return home.
A customer returned to buy the same black Phillip Lim dress she bought two weeks earlier, for 360 yuan ($A56) rather than the 4000 yuan price advertised on the Chinese online shopping site Taobao, and was sold the same dress for the same price but with the label removed.
International visitors have been kicking themselves for not checking the intellectual property conference calendar before planning their travel dates.
''I asked at the Silk Market why there was no Prada or Mulberry,'' said New Zealander Kristin Cook, after showing visitors around the city. ''They told me this is the week of the big meeting, and until the meeting was over they couldn't sell any international brands.''
Her guests were similarly disappointed at her favourite DVD stores and Hongqiao Market.
''At Hongqiao they said there's big trouble this week, come back next week,'' she said. ''So we went to the Great Wall instead.''
The pirating of fashion labels and cultural content upsets multinational companies but raises little concern among citizens in China. Mass outbreaks of fake food, counterfeit medicine and adulterated milk, on the other hand, cause outrage.
The minister in charge of the National Copyright Administration of China, Liu Minjie, praised conference delegates for their ''spirit of co-operation, flexibility and pragmatism''. Francis Gurry, director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, praised China for ''outstanding organisation''.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
What caused the sudden shortage of pirated DVDs, clothes and handbags in Beijing?
Beijing was hosting the World Intellectual Property Convention, where delegates signed the Beijing Treaty on Protecting Audiovisual Performances. Authorities cleared visible counterfeit stocks in places like the Silk Market and Zoo Markets while the conference was on, removing fake DVDs and designer goods from shelves and displays.
Which Beijing markets and counterfeit brands were directly affected by the anti-piracy measures?
The article highlights the Silk Market, the Zoo Markets and Hongqiao Market as affected locations. Shopkeepers removed or stowed labels for brands such as Polo, Abercrombie & Fitch, Prada, Gucci, Hermes, Lanvin, Chloe, Givenchy, Diane von Furstenberg, Phillip Lim and Mulberry.
Was the crackdown on counterfeit goods in Beijing a permanent enforcement change?
According to shopkeepers quoted in the article, the action appeared temporary. Stall owners hid or removed labels and told customers to 'come back' after the international delegates left, and some said counterfeit stocks would reappear once the conference was over.
How did Beijing officials describe their response to intellectual property (IP) concerns?
Beijing leaders framed the event positively: Liu Qi called IP protection a point of pride and promised to 'further strengthen intellectual property' and build Beijing as a leading IP city. The National Copyright Administration and WIPO praised cooperation and organisation around the convention.
What was the reaction of international visitors and local shoppers to the empty counterfeit stalls?
International visitors were frequently disappointed — many regretted not checking the conference calendar before travelling. Some tourists who couldn’t find expected counterfeit DVDs or designer knock-offs chose other activities instead, such as visiting the Great Wall.
How does the article describe Chinese public attitudes toward counterfeit fashion versus dangerous counterfeits?
The piece notes that pirating fashion labels and cultural content upsets multinational companies but tends to raise little concern among ordinary citizens. By contrast, mass outbreaks of fake food, counterfeit medicine and adulterated milk provoke public outrage.
Who were the key organisations and officials mentioned in relation to the convention and IP enforcement?
The article mentions the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and its director-general Francis Gurry, Liu Qi (a Politburo member and Beijing Party boss), and Liu Minjie, minister in charge of the National Copyright Administration of China.
What should everyday investors take away from Beijing’s IP enforcement during the conference?
The article suggests governments can and do stage visible IP enforcement during major international events, which can temporarily disrupt counterfeit trade. However, the reported behavior of stall owners storing labels and planning to resume sales implies such crackdowns may be short-lived rather than signalling immediate, sustained market-wide change.
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