Shanghai?authorities are warning consumers to be careful
when buying drinks from small stalls along the roadside or in
parks, as copycats are selling beverages designed to look just like
some famous brands, the Shanghai Morning Post said
today.
Producers of the copied drinks make their "clone" products look
as similar to famous brands as possible, matching the bottle shape,
package color, logo and even a quality label.
For example, the drinks may be branded as "Washasha" to copy the
famous "Wahaha".
The drinks are usually sold at small booths outside Metro
stations, in parks and at bus stops, the newspaper said.
Producers of the clone drinks may have registered for an
industrial permit license with their own name, but label their
products with a copycat name, said an industry insider.
"They take advantage of a blind spot in trademark law," the
insider said.
(Shanghai Daily September 12, 2007)
