Haibao hawkers elude authorities

• Source: Global Times
• [09:59 April 20 2010]
• Comments

A street vendor sells fake Haibao toys to tourists on Nanjing Road East Monday. Photo: Cai Xianmin

By Duan Wuning

With sales of authorized Expo souvenirs hitting 10 billion yuan ($1.47 billion) this Sunday, fake Haibao merchandise is still sold at tourist sites, even as authorities make a last minute push to crackdown on bogus wares.

There are more than 200 franchises in Shanghai and 5,000 nationwide authorized to sell official souvenirs. Authentic replicas of the Expo mascot, Haibao, and other Expo souvenirs can be bought at convenience stores and online, but fake Haibao merchandise is also selling well due to its much lower price.

Bogus Haibao toys cost 20 yuan ($2.93) from street vendors, but the price is 110 yuan ($16.12) at official Expo shops. Authentic Haibao key chains cost 20 yuan ($2.93), but go for 5 yuan ($0.73) on the street.

Street vendors, however, have their own worries, not the least of which is the Urban Management Brigade, or chengguan. "The Chengguan patrol every day. We grab our stuff and rush into the alleys," a street vendor from southern China who sells fake Haibao merchandise told the Global Times. "If you get caught, they will take your stuff."

The vendor said she sells 50 to 60 Haibao toys a day.

Since the second half of 2009, Shanghai authorities have initiated a special campaign to uphold Expo-related Intellectual Property Rights, targeting areas such as Nanjing Road and the Oriental Pearl Tower, Lu Guoqiang, director of the Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration, said at a recent press conference.