Recently, in Hangzhou Customs District, Zhoushan Customs House officers found 600 broadswords hidden in a batch of export goods that were declared as rubber boots and iron nails. Regarding those broadswords, their blades and packages were all printed with the trademark of “BELLOTA and its pattern”. Through identification by the trademark owner, it was confirmed that the broadswords had infringed on “BELLOTA and its pattern” IPR.

Besides infringement, the seized broadswords are potentially dangerous articles: each is 70cm in total length, with steel blade 54cm long, point angle bigger than 60°, and with one blood groove, thus belonging to police-controlled knives.

The G20 Summit will be held in Hangzhou this September. Therefore, Hangzhou Customs has since early this year strengthened inspection and anti-smuggling efforts in passenger, luggage and cargo controls for any dangerous article like knives, inflammables and explosives, so as to keep the port environment as well as import and export processes in good order. Now, based on IPR enforcement request by the IPR owner, the Customs has put this case under investigation in cooperation with local Public Security agency.

The Customs seized the broadswords infringing upon “BELLOTA and its pattern” IPR.

Customs officers were counting the IPR-infringing broadswords.