Officials warn against buying mascots online
(CRI)
Updated: 2005-11-22 09:29

The Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee has called on consumers not to purchase counterfeit Olympic Mascots sold on the Internet.

Tang Yonghong, from the Market Development Department of the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee says it is illegal to sell the five mascots on the Internet.

"Although some of the mascot products from the appointed producers are genuine, it is still illegal to sell them on the internet," Tang said.

The official says all of the mascots for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games sold through the Internet are pirated ones.

Meanwhile, he also mentions some ways to identify the authentic Five Fuwas from the label. Some invisible words for example, which read ‘Beijing 2008', can only be read at certain angles.

As soon as 2008 Olympic mascots were unveiled in Beijing, the related franchised products were selling like hotcakes on the open market.

There are more than 100 mascot related products, including pens, toys, hats, bags and souvenirs. Most of them cost less than 10 US dollars.