The counterfeit olympics.

• Author: Howley, Kerry
• Position: Product counterfeiting in China - Brief article

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CHINA'S ROLE as the world's knock-off sanctuary has long been a scourge of brand managers, who complain that the Chinese government doesn't do enough to police the use of names like Rolex and Burberry. But the Beijing authorities have taken an interest in the legal integrity of at least one label: the Olympics 2008 logo, which they own.

It's not an easy task. For the past several years, the government has seized unauthorized T-shirts, cigarettes, key chains, and other items stamped with the Olympic emblem and sold by street or online vendors. Police have also seized at least 30,000 Fuwa, the official Olympic mascots. The plush toys pictured above are black-market Fuwa, out-laws each of them.

Anticipating the rise of...