On July 19, the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the “No Fakes Pledge” Scheme is solemnly held by the Intellectual Property Department of Hong Kong SAR at the Victoria Peak Garden. Initiating units of “No Fakes Pledge” Scheme in Guangdong Province and Hong Kong are specially invited to the celebration. Tao Kaiyuan, Director of Guangdong IP Administration and Stephen Selby, Director of IP Department of Hong Kong SAR address the celebration.

Zhu Wanchang, Deputy Director of Guangdong IP Administration, Jiang Haiping, Deputy Director of Guangdong Administration for Industry and Commerce and representatives from Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Copyright Bureau and eight cities with the pilot project of the “No Fakes Pledge” Scheme of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, Dongguan, Jiangmen, Huizhou and Zhanjiang participate in the celebration.

At the celebration, Ms. Tao indicates that the scheme of “No Fakes Pledge” promotes the formation and consolidation of Hong Kong’s reputation of “Capital of Genuine Goods.” After Guangdong and Hong Kong make joint efforts to promote the activity, the scheme has become one of the renowned projects of Guangdong-Hong Kong IP cooperation with the deepening of the activity. She says that Guangdong will continue launching and promoting the scheme throughout the province, strengthening guidance, administration and supervision to the activity and enhancing bilateral exchanges and cooperation between Guangdong and Hong Kong so as to better promote and deepen the scheme simultaneously in the two regions.

Mr. Stephen Selby notes that the “No Fakes Pledge” Scheme aims at encouraging the members of sellers’ associations to establish their sense of pride of selling genuine goods and pledge to sell only genuine goods, and increase retailers and consumers’ IPR awareness. The activity stimulates sellers and consumers’ awareness of IPR after it is launched. Hong Kong IP Department will make full efforts to promote the “No Fakes Pledge” Scheme and encourage more business operators to participate in.

“No Fakes Pledge” Scheme is launched by Hong Kong IP Department in 1998 and is supported by Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department and Hong Kong Consumer Council. The issuing units of “No Fakes Pledge” labels in Hong Kong include Hong Kong and Kowloon Electrical Appliance Merchants Association Ltd., Hong Kong Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights under the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, Hong Kong General Chamber of Pharmacy Ltd., Hong Kong Jewellers and Goldsmiths’ Association, Hong Kong Record Merchants Association, Hong Kong Retail Management Association, Hong Kong Computer Society and Kowloon Jewellers and Goldsmiths’ Association. Up to date, more than 4,700 enterprises and stores in Hong Kong have joined in “No Fakes Pledge” Scheme.

In 2004, Guangdong-Hong Kong Expert Group on the Protection of IPRs decides after consultation to formally introduce the scheme from Hong Kong to Guangdong. The activity aims at encouraging business operators and enterprises not to manufacture or sell IPR-infringed products, improving the awareness of the whole society of respecting and protecting IPRs and establishing the business reputation of honesty, trustworthiness and lawful operation so as to jointly improve the international images of Guangdong and Hong Kong regarding encouraging genuine goods. From 2004 to 2007, Guangdong launches pilot project of “No Fakes Pledge” Scheme in eight cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shantou, Dongguan, Zhuhai, Jiangmen, Huizhou and Zhanjiang in succession. Up to date, a total of 355 business operators and enterprises in the eight cities have participated in the scheme.

At the seventh meeting of Guangdong-Hong Kong Expert Group on the Protection of IPRs on July 18, 2008, Guangdong Administration for Industry and Commerce formally becomes the supporting unit of launching the activity in Guangdong Province.