The Longquanyi District Court in Chengdu recently gave prison terms to six suspects engaging in aggressively manufacturing and selling counterfeit big name foreign liquors. A criminal Zhang was sentenced 4 years and 6 months in prison while his five associates would do time ranging from 8 to 10 months.

In February 2007, Zhang hired Duan and others to blend counterfeit liquors in a suburban Chengdu rented house.  They bought low quality whisky and vodka from other parts of the country, empty bottles from junkyards and bars, bottle labels, cartons and bottle caps in Guangzhou. While manufacturing, they registered an online shop in a famous Chinese shopping site to sell their counterfeit liquors.

On November 9, 2007, Chengdu Commerce Bureau allied with police raided one underground workshop in Liushu village which led them to the above mentioned one. Duan and others were apprehended on site. Thirteen top liquor labels including Black Label, Vodka, Hennessy, Chivas, Martell, Remy Martin and Chivas Royal Salute.  As examined, all the 2,365 bottles of liquors seized carried counterfeit registered trademarks. The illegal proceeds registered at 417 thousand yuan.

(China IP News)