Detectives close in on licenses

GUANGZHOU: Private detective firms may not have pried open the door to legally offering their services in China, but they've slipped their business card into the deadbolt.

A company in this southern city was given a trademark earlier this month, allowing it to operate as Guangzhou Jiutouniao Survey Firm.

The firm currently offers 45 services ranging from business surveys, collecting evidence of counterfeit products, intellectual property rights investigation and investigation of enterprises and individuals.