The European committee for textile associations, CEMATEX, has incorporated the product piracy prevention regulation introduced by VDMA Textile Machinery Association in Munich (for the ITMA 2007 exhibition) into the exhibition regulations for the ITMA Asia + CITME 2008 show. “The work of the Intellectual Property Rights office at ITMA Asia + CITME 2008, existing at exhibitions since March 2006 in accordance with Chinese law, has been followed by CEMATEX. Our Chinese trade fair partner, BJITME, has created good prerequisites here for implementing our trade fair conditions,” said Thomas Waldmann, VDMA managing director and member of the CEMATEX executive committee. According to current information, 19 companies filed for 25 proceedings concerning the breach of exhibitors’ protective rights.

According to the VDMA, 85 percent of its members responding to a recent survey indicated that they have been affected by inadmissible reproductions. China reportedly tops the list of countries of origin for plagiarism concerning German textile machine construction. “More than every second company in textile machine construction first discovers that their own products have been illegally copied at exhibitions,” said Waldmann. “Therefore it was the task of our office, before the ITMA Asia + CITME 2008, to inform our members fully concerning the legal situation, to offer advice upon preparation, and also to provide support on location to take action against product pirates.”

The PR China Plan for the Development of Science and Technology for the Years 2006–2020 lists an objective of producing “independent innovations.” Whether increasing regulations will lead to decreasing copying is yet to be seen, but it’s an issue that’s coming to the forefront more and more often in a global business economy.