As companies have to gather evidence of an infringement before filing a complaint with the AIC or TSB, Yeung charges $ 8,000 to $ 10,000 for each market survey, which includes identifying the names and addresses of the infringers, and checking on the quantity, prices and variety of bogus products in certain shops.Another designer label's representative, Candy Cheung, who does not give her real name, explains: "The people who look like onlookers aren't really. chaussures Christian Louboutin They're the 'eyes and ears' of other shops."The local AIC gives excuses and hasn't been helpful. It wants to protect its local industry," he says. "The problem Christian Louboutin is so serious that the Beijing authorities endorsed an action plan last June to tackle it after LV and Christian Louboutin lobbied for its help. And although the Shenzhen AIC claims it has carried out some measures, it doesn't reveal what it is doing."


Existing laws also make it difficult to prosecute anyone. Infringers have to be caught three times or make illegal profits of more than 20,000 yuan (HK$ 18,600) before there can be a criminal case in which a jail term of less than three years is usually handed out. If the amount of illegal profit is very large, offenders can be jailed for a maximum of seven years, says Tan.

Outside a smaller store, more action awaits. The TSB chief has been in a stand -off with salesgirls for almost half-an-hour. "Open the door," he yells. "We don't have the key," the girls reply, peeping out. He issues threats to no avail. The girls are adamant and, eventually, he relents"The TSB could have called the Public Security Bureau in to force open the shop, but the PSB would probably consider this too minor a case. This is a very bad precedent. Other shopkeepers may follow next time when there are raids," says Tommy Yeung Kin-fun, director of ENQ Consultants Ltd, a Hong Kong -based investigating company responsible for the raid research.
Meanwhile, a salesgirl tries to snatch some and run off but is caught by Yeung. "How dare you steal confiscated property?" he says, infuriated. "You want to play tricks? I'll confiscate every single in the shop."

Confrontation seems inevitable as some troublemakers turn emotional, growl and refuse to disperse. "Go away," yells an officer as he grabs the collar of a man in his 30s.t is not until the last store, where huge amounts of rip-offs are spotted, that the operation proves more successful. Chee and Yeung sweep fake Fendi and LV , brown LV signature luggage, and Christian Louboutin wallets, hand and rucksacks onto the floor until the shop is almost emptied.

The shopkeeper is surprisingly co-operative. "I'll help count the , " he says respectfully, grabbing five and counting one, in an attempt to reduce the fine, which depends on the quantity and value of goods seized. The shopkeeper then reluctantly takes out several thousand dollars from a drawer for confiscation while pleading to the officials: "This isn't the shop's cash from business. I just took the money from my home."

The counterfeiters' unity also poses a potential danger for investigators conducting raids, he says. "I remember a colleague who was once trapped inside a store by 30 to 40 people. They refused to let him go and we had to negotiate with them and spared their shop before he was released."Despite co-operation from Beijing authorities which have begun to crack down on rampant counterfeit business worth billions of dollars annually, the crime's organised nature and local law enforcers' reluctance are still major headaches for international luxury brands, according to the LV and Chanel spokesmen."China has one of the most complete sets of intellectual property laws, (but) they need to be properly enforced. What's been done is only cosmetic," says sandales Christian Louboutin LV's president (Asia) Serge Brunschwig.Yeung, however, explains the reasons behind the officials' unwillingness to conduct raids and to actively curb counterfeiting in Lowu Commercial City which is targeted weekly.


"One down and a billion to go," says Cheung of the operation. "Because of more frequent enforcement actions, people here are getting smarter and more vigilant."eung adds: "Although the guys pulling the strings are from Hong Kong, many of whom have triad links, the guys actually running the stores are mostly chaussures Louboutin Chiuchow, who are very united, organised and experienced. That's why the TSB officials have to dress in plain clothes and take taxis because the shopkeepers recognise their cars from miles away and notify everybody."