Authorities will intensify their crackdown on trademark violations to sustain a healthy market and economic order, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce said last week.

Breaches of trademarks related to everyday products such as food, drugs, tobacco, clothing, cosmetics, motor vehicles and spare parts will be targetted, according to the administration's Trademark Department.

To avoid copyright infringements, inspectors will also be sent to commodity fairs, exhibitions, trade markets, top-end hotel shops, and shops selling famous brands.

People who violate trademarks will answer to public security bureaux, according to the department.

To enhance awareness of the Trademark Law among business people, regional trademark management authorities will periodically publicize companies with good records in trademark protection as well as those that violate trademarks, said a departmental official, who declined to be named.

The administration is doing more to protect famous trademarks, geographic branding and group trademarks.

Its work helps fulfil the requirements of the World Trade Organization, the official said.

In April this year, the administration mobilized trademark management departments in Beijing and Shanghai municipalities, and Guangdong, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, to conduct law enforcement checks in these areas.

The campaign was applauded by the US-based P&G (Procter and Gamble) Company and Coca-Cola Company, whose trademarks had been infringed in some of the cases uncovered.

Regional public security bureaux have also joined with local trademark management departments to help protect trademarks. In Beijing, for example, the public security department raided the Tengda Printing Factory and the Jiahe Colour Packing Factory in Daxing County early this month.

The two factories were found to have produced imitation "flagship'' packing boxes since October last year. The flagship trademark belongs to the Yalong Paper Company in Kunshan of East China's Jiangsu Province.

The two factories had produced 100,000 packing boxes labelled with the "flagship'' brand, generating a turnover of more than 200,000 yuan (US$24,000).

Suspects have been detained and authorities are conducting further investigations, according to the Beijing Morning Post.

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