Courtesy European Cleaning Journal, 25 January 2013
German cleaning machine producer Karcher has won its unfair competition suit against the Chinese company Wenzhou Haibao. It’s one of the first German businesses to win a lawsuit of this kind in China.
The dispute at the district court in Guangzhou (Canton) was over design copies of Karcher compact class commercial pressure cleaners. Wenzhou Haibao must immediately cease manufacture and pay Karcher compensation.
“Our confidence in the Chinese courts and authorities has been vindicated without exception,” said Hartmut Jenner, chairman of the Karcher Group’s management board.
“They have fully protected our intellectual property. I am especially pleased that all models in the range were officially recognised as ‘well-known products’. That will make it easier for us to safeguard our rights in the future.”
Karcher has had a sales subsidiary in China since 2002, with a head office in Shanghai, and a production facility since 2004.