The Canton Fair: Find Out What's Happening with Your IP

Home | China Law Blog | The Canton Fair: Find Out What’s Happening with Your IP Table of Contents Toggle https://youtu.be/QrY9eHkXTa4 Old pirates, yes, they rob I Sold I to the merchant ships -- Bob Marley's Redemption Song 1. The Canton Fair The 125th Canton Fair will kick off on April 15th. For those unfamiliar with this event (formally known as the China Import and Export Fair), it is China’s largest trade show, held biannually in Guangzhou (historically known as Canton), with each edition of the Fair split into three phases based on product types. The figures associated with the Fair are staggering: 190,000 buyers. 60,645 booths. A 12 million ft² exhibition complex. Export transactions totaling 29.86 billion U.S. dollars. Those who call Guangzhou home (as I did for many years) tend to have a love-hate or hate-hate relationship with the Fair. Each edition of the Fair (again, held twice a year!) floods the already chaotic metropolis with traders from every corner of the world (for three weeks!), making life just a little less bearable for residents. Tickets on the through-train to Hong Kong sell out. Hotels jack up their rates. Pubs fill up with annoying rubes of the sort expats sought to leave behind in their home countries when they embarked on their China adventure. At the same time, the Fair is a sight to behold. If there is one physical manifestation of China’s breakneck growth over the past few decades, this is it. Inside the halls, you will find aisle after aisle of exhibitors hawking a dazzling array of, well, anything you can think of. Tractors? Check. Disposable circumcision kits? Check. Silver teaware that meets the expectations of your discerning customers in Basra? Check. The Fair is a fixed event on the calendar of exporters worldwide (more than a quarter of the 190,000 buyers at the 124th edition had visited the Fair more than ten times). At the jam-packed McDonald’s inside the Fair complex, you will rub elbows—over spilled salt and smudged ketchup—with buyers from European grand magasins, South American family business owners, Middle Eastern wholesalers, and budding American entrepreneurs looking for that perfect item to sell on Amazon. The Fair is certainly of interest to trade practitioners, but it is also a critical event for those charged with safeguarding the intellectual property of brands worldwide. Together with the likes of Walmart, Costco, and Carrefour, the Fair draws thousands of buyers from countries where intellectual property protections are practically inexistent, creating a market for counterfeits. And though most of the exhibitors (25,583 companies at the 124th edition) are reputable companies, there are also some bad apples that have no qualms about churning out fake products. 2. IP at the Canton Fair Fair organizers take IP protection seriously and have an on-site complaints station (which handled 382 cases during the most recent edition). Despite this, some exhibitors will still display infringing items, either at their booths or in catalogs. Some IP rights-holders like the idea of taking immediate action, availing themselves of the complaint mechanism. A guns-blazing approach may offer immediate gratification but it also can be counterproductive in terms of the big picture. Exhibitors found to be infringing at the Fair will usually just be asked to take down the offending items, without further consequences. Going forward, they will likely be more skittish, complicating your investigative efforts. It isn’t only actual displays of counterfeits that should concern brands. Most exhibitors are savvy enough to avoid running afoul of the Fair’s IP complaint office. However, they may make verbal representations regarding their willingness to manufacture counterfeits or in some other way raise red flags that merit a closer look. It is therefore usually wiser to treat the Fair as an intelligence-gathering exercise, taking a longer-term view that carefully builds up to raids or civil lawsuits that will pack a lot more long-term punch. If you spot an exhibitor of concern, get their catalogs and business cards, develop a rapport with their representatives, and ask them to expect further contact from you. Then, work together with your China IP attorneys to organize a proper investigation that lays the groundwork for action on the part of the authorities. At this point you’ll probably want/need to blow off some steam, so head to the Paddy Field to enjoy a pint or two while singing along to Redemption Song with some toilet-fixture importers from Tripoli—and maybe some local expats who just can’t wait for the mafan to be over. Just remember, the first line of the song is not referring to the pirates robbing you of your IP, but something infinitely more tragic. La Feria de Cantón: Piratas a la vista La 125ta edición de la Feria de Cantón tendrá su inicio este próximo 15 de abril. Para quienes no conocen el evento, se trata de la feria comercial más importante de China, la cual toma lugar dos veces al año en la ciudad de Cantón (también conocida como Guangzhou). Cada edición se divide en tres fases, cada una dedicada a rubros diferentes. Las cifras que produce la feria son alucinantes: 190 000 compradores. 60 645 stands. Un recinto de más de un millón de metros cuadrados. Exportaciones acordadas con valor de US$29 860 millones. Los residentes de Cantón (como lo fue el autor por muchos años) suelen tener una relación de amor/odio (u odio/odio) con la Feria. Dos veces al año, la ciudad se atiborra por tres semanas de comerciantes venidos de cada rincón del mundo, complicando la vida diaria. Se agotan los billetes del tren directo a Hong Kong. Los hoteles triplican sus precios. Los pubs se llenan de paletos de tu país, de esos que no extrañas. Por otro lado, la escala de la Feria es espectacular, la manifestación física del milagro económico chino de las últimas décadas. Un pasillo tras otro repleto de quioscos ofreciendo todo lo que se puede imaginar, made in China. ¿Tractores? Ahí están. ¿Dispositivos desechables para realizar circuncisiones? Vale. ¿Juegos de té en plata para tus exigentes clientes en Basora? No hay problema. La Feria es un evento fijo en el calendario del comercio mundial (más de una cuarta parte de los 190 000 compradores presentes en la 124ta edición habían visitado la Feria previamente en más de diez ocasiones). En el apiñado McDonald’s del recinto, esquivando sal y cátsup derramados sobre las mesas, el visitante puede entablar conversaciones con compradores de grandes almacenes europeos, dueños de pymes sudamericanas, mayoristas del Medio Oriente, y emprendedores de Estados Unidos buscando el artículo perfecto para vender en Amazon. Sin duda, la Feria es de sumo interés para los abogados comerciales, pero también debe serlo para aquellos encomendados con proteger la propiedad intelectual de sus clientes. Y es que, junto a Walmart, Costco y Carrefour, la Feria atrae a miles de compradores de países en donde la protección de los derechos de propiedad intelectual es casi inexistente. Si bien es cierto que la mayoría de los expositores (25 583 empresas durante la 124ta edición) son de fiar, también se cuelan manzanas podridas sin reparo alguno a la hora de falsificar productos. Los organizadores de la Feria se toman el problema en serio y cuentan con un despacho para atender quejas relacionadas a la piratería. Durante la 124ta edición, dicha oficina abrió 382 expedientes. No obstante, siempre hay exhibidores que se toman riesgos y muestras artículos falsificados en sus puestos o en los catálogos que reparten. Para las víctimas de la piratería, la idea de tomar acción inmediata puede resultar seductora. Sin embargo, el obtener gratificación inmediata puede ser contraproducente. Típicamente, las autoridades de la Feria solo le piden al vendedor que retire los artículos ofensivos, y ahí acaba el asunto. Alertado, el falsificador tendrá mucha más cautela en el futuro, lo cual puede complicar los esfuerzos investigativos. Más aún, avistar copias en los escaparates y catálogos es tan solo una parte de la ecuación. Los expositores suelen ser lo suficientemente listos para evitar llamar la atención durante la Feria. En cambio, en el marco de una conversación discreta pueden revelar su disposición para falsificar productos, u otra información preocupante que amerite seguimiento. Suele ser más prudente el considerar la Feria como una oportunidad para obtener información sobre los piratas, con vistas a tomar acciones más contundentes en el futuro, tales como redadas o demandas judiciales. Si ve a un exhibidor mostrando versiones falsificadas de su producto, tome un catálogo, entable una conversación agradable con los empleados, obtenga sus tarjetas de presentación, y dígales que se estará comunicando con ellos. Luego, trabaje con sus abogados de propiedad intelectual en China para realizar una investigación completa que allane el camino para las autoridades gubernamentales. Tras todo este jaleo, seguramente querrá relajarse un poco, así que diríjase al Paddy Field a tomarse unas cañas mientras corea Redemption Song junto a unos tripolitanos que están en Cantón comprando excusados—y tal vez algún residente de la ciudad contando los días para que acabe el mafan. Eso sí, recuerde que la canción de Bob Marley no está hablando de esos dichosos piratas de la Feria, sino de algo mucho más trágico. Check Out Our China Law Services Share Twitter Facebook LinkedIn E-mail Comment Fred Rocafort Fred leads Harris Sliwoski’s intellectual property practice and is the coordinator of the firm’s international team. Much of Fred’s practice consists of helping cannabis businesses protect their brands. He also works with entrepreneurs and companies entering the Web3 space, a new frontier for IP law. Prior to joining Harris Sliwoski, Fred worked overseas for more than a decade, in both government and private sector roles. Fred is a regular contributor to the award-winning China Law Blog and Canna Law Blog. Fred began his career overseas as a U.S. consular officer in Guangzhou, China, where he advocated for fairer treatment of American companies and citizens in China and for stronger intellectual property rights enforcement. After entering the private sector, Fred worked at a Shanghai law firm as a foreign legal advisor and later joined one of the oldest American law firms in China, helping foreign companies navigate the Chinese legal environment. He also led the legal team at a Hong Kong-based brand protection consultancy, spending most of his time out in the field, protecting clients against counterfeiters and fraudsters in Greater China, Southeast Asia and Latin America. In addition to his IP work, as a native Spanish speaker, Fred works closely with different Harris Sliwoski teams on Latin America and Spain matters. Fred also provides advice to cannabis industry participants and other businesses on import and export transactions. Fred is an ardent supporter of FC Barcelona—and would be even in the absence of Catalan forebears who immigrated to Puerto Rico in the mid-1800s. Harris Sliwoski Attorney Read more posts [email protected] Read More Basics of China Business Law, China Business, Intellectual Property (IP) Related Posts September 15, 2026 Your AI-Drafted China Contract Says It Needs a Lawyer. Listen to It. September 11, 2026 Forensic Accountants in China Business Litigation: How True Numbers Can Tell the Wrong Story September 4, 2026 China NNN Agreement or Trademark Registration? You Usually Need Both September 1, 2026 AI Didn't Replace Lawyers. It Gave Us the 48-Page Contract. August 27, 2026 Do I Need a China NNN Agreement or a China Manufacturing Agreement? Usually Both. August 26, 2026 China’s New Overseas Investment Rules: Can Your Chinese Investor Actually Get the Money Out? August 24, 2026 International IP Protection for Startups: What to Protect and Where August 19, 2026 The Documents Are the International Deal August 19, 2026 China Supplier Fraud in Yiwu: Why We Recommended the Police, Not a Lawsuit August 17, 2026 China Trademark Registration: Why U.S. Companies Need More Than a Filing Agent August 10, 2026 Buying Expensive Equipment from China: Seven Questions to Answer Before You Pay August 7, 2026 DDP Shipping Risks: What Boise Cascade’s Guilty Plea Means for U.S. Buyers August 6, 2026 Protecting Your Artwork Internationally: What Artists Need to Do Before the Work Travels August 5, 2026 Your China Employee Signed the Vacation Policy. You Can Still Lose. July 29, 2026 The RedNote Contract Lesson for Companies Doing Business in China Leave a comment Cancel reply