Where is the bottom line of intellectual property from a floor view
In September 2024, the Market Supervision and Administration Bureau (Intellectual Property Office) of Nanxun District, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, lawfully investigated and dealt with a case of counterfeit registered trademark sports wood flooring, involving goods worth nearly one million yuan. This case not only demonstrates the resolute attitude of regulatory authorities towards "zero tolerance" for infringement, but also reflects the difficulties and solutions of traditional manufacturing industry in transformation and upgrading.
Case Strike: Infringement 'borderline ball' finally reveals its true form
The case filed in August 2024 involves the complete industrial chain of producing and selling counterfeit sports wood flooring of a well-known brand. This type of professional flooring used in sports venues has strict requirements for shock absorption and environmental indicators. Criminals take advantage of industry professional barriers and information asymmetry to pass off inferior products as good through means such as counterfeiting trademarks and forging packaging.
It is worth noting that such infringement often wears the cloak of a "borderline" - either fine-tuning trademark letters or falsely promoting "same factory, same origin". But the actions of the Nanxun District Municipal Supervision Bureau indicate that any attempt to confuse the public and ride the wave of brands, no matter how clever, will eventually cross the legal red line. The case has severed the gray chain from production to sales, creating a strong deterrent for potential infringers in the industry.
Deep crux: Why has the wooden flooring industry become a "disaster area" for infringement?
As an important gathering place for China's wooden flooring industry, Nanxun has a complete supply chain system. This kind of industrial concentration is an advantage, but it also lays hidden dangers:
Firstly, there is intense homogenization competition and weak brand awareness. Some small and medium-sized enterprises lack core technologies and can only survive through low price competition. When cost pressure meets the temptation of brand premium, infringement and counterfeiting become a shortcut. Some companies are accustomed to the OEM model and always want to "borrow a ship to go out to sea", but the result is that they "run aground and sink a ship".
The second is the professional information gap and the illusion of illegal costs. The technical threshold for sports wood flooring is high, making it difficult for ordinary consumers to distinguish authenticity, leaving room for infringement. In the past, in some areas, the "three cup fine" law enforcement has further fueled the speculative impulse of enterprises.
The nearly one million yuan involved in this case indicates that infringement has formed a large-scale and organized pattern. If allowed to spread, it will not only harm consumer rights (poor quality flooring may cause athlete injuries and excessive formaldehyde), but also destroy the overall regional brand image of "Nanxun Wooden Flooring" and fall into a vicious cycle of "bad money driving out good money".
The way to break through: from "shining the sword" to "building the brand"
The action taken by Nanxun sends a clear signal: intellectual property protection is not a "soft constraint", but a live "high-voltage line". The sustainable development of local economy cannot rely on the "parasitic mode" of infringing on the intellectual property rights of others, and must be based on independent innovation and self owned brands.
This case provides important inspiration for traditional industries - brand building is the right way to break through. Instead of taking risks and playing borderline games, it's better to focus on developing core technologies, applying for patent protection, and cultivating brand value. Enterprises in Nanxun have successfully transformed through strategies such as "China Famous Trademark" and "Zhejiang Famous Brand", proving that although the right path is far away, it will come soon.
Multi party governance: building an intellectual property "moat"
Systemic governance is needed to cure the stubborn problem of infringement:
Regulatory authorities should establish a credit punishment system for infringement "blacklists", strengthen cross departmental and full chain supervision, and explore the use of big data, blockchain and other technologies to establish anti-counterfeiting traceability systems.
Industry associations need to establish strict group standards, raise entry barriers, establish dispute resolution mechanisms, organize enterprises to apply for collective trademark and geographical indication protection, and transform "fighting alone" into "protecting rights in groups".
Enterprises themselves must abandon the mindset of "making quick money" and regard innovation investment as their core competitiveness. Small and medium-sized enterprises can start with the basic protection of "design patents+registered trademarks" and gradually build an intellectual property matrix.
Consumers and buyers should enhance their ability to distinguish, choose legitimate channels, and actively request testing reports. Major purchasers such as sports venues must verify their authorization certificates to avoid potential safety hazards caused by low prices.
Conclusion: Intellectual property is the "foundation" for high-quality development
The million level infringement case investigated and dealt with in 2024 reflects that in the era of high-quality development, intellectual property is not an "option", but a "must answer question". Local industries need to "establish their own brands" not through opportunistic "borderline" tactics, but through their persistence in innovation, adherence to quality, and reverence for the rule of law.
In this case, we applaud the "zero tolerance" policy of the Nanxun Municipal Supervision Bureau; In the future, we look forward to seeing more well-known independent brands emerge in the Nanxun wooden flooring industry. Protecting intellectual property is protecting innovation and the future. There are no shortcuts or deviations on this road.