Consumer Rights Day marks end of fake fashion items
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A Beijing court on Tuesday ordered a massive destruction of replica luxury brand handbags in its drive against the rampant counterfeiting business in China.
Altogether, 8,425 handbags, which are counterfeit designs of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Chanel, were destroyed at a waste treatment site on the outskirts of Beijing.
The counterfeit goods totaled 760,000 yuan (115,600 U.S. dollars) in value, said Zang Desheng, a judge at Chaoyang District Court, which ordered and monitored the entire process.
"We aim to send a warning to the perpetrators who thought we lacked the resolve to safeguard intellectual property," said Zang.
The counterfeit goods were seized from the Silk Street, according to Zang. The area is a famous shopping center for cheap goods and counterfeit merchandise.
The seller of the counterfeit bags, Yang Changjun, was sentenced to three years in jail in 2010, Zang added.
The counterfeiting of apparel brands and fashion items has become a burgeoning business in China in recent years.
Traditionally, city authorities burned the items in a bonfire to deter outlaws; but due to "environmental concerns", the court chose to use a pulverizer instead of gasoline this time, said Zang.
Tuesday marks the World Consumer Rights Day, which falls on March 15 every year.
