Former President Bush, IOC Chairman’s Wife, shop at counterfeit market.
The Wall Street Journal reports on the popularity of the Silk Market in China.
While Chinese authorities have taken aggressive efforts to protect Olympics-related intellectual property, the Silk Market in central Beijing stands out as a symbol of the enduring struggle against counterfeiters.
Silk Street has become central to the Olympic experience. Games organizers highlight the market as a “must visit” on their English language Web site. Former President George H.W. Bush paid a visit on Aug. 11, as did Yao Ming’s father. Members of 80 Olympic delegations have visited the market so far, says general manager Wang Zili, and the day’s Legal Evening News features a captioned photo of Anne Rogge, wife of IOC chief, having Chinese-style clothes made at Silk Street.
Everyone, that is, except for brand owners who have been engaged in years of legal wrangling to force the market to clean up its act. Their success has been mixed, at best. While the upper floors of the market are now given over to selling silks, jewelry and custom-made clothing, the lower floors are crammed with stalls selling all manner of fake fashion. They openly offer items of dubious origin, emblazoned with names such as “Polo by Ralphlauren,” “Tommy Hilfiger” and “Dolce & Gabbana.”
