Red Star News:

We have observed that as the domestic toy Labubu has surged in popularity both at home and abroad, customs authorities recently seized counterfeit versions of Labubu at multiple ports. Could you please share what key measures customs has taken to protect intellectual property rights? Thank you.

Wang Lingjun:

Thank you for your question. In recent years, China's trendy toys have gained popularity in global markets. In the first four months of this year, China's exports of dolls and animal toys exceeded 13.31 billion yuan, marking a 9.6% increase. Recently, Labubu has become a global sensation. The GACC official WeChat account has regularly shared the "Customs' Battle Against Fake Labubu" series, which has also gained popularity on social media. From this, many netizens have become aware of one of customs' key responsibilities: protecting IP rights. This duty is carried out in accordance with Articles 44 and 91 of the Customs Law, which empower customs to proactively inspect or detain suspected infringing goods at entry and exit points, stop IP violations, and support and protect innovation.

Since 1994, we have enforced customs protection of IP rights and actively participated in global IP governance. In the first half of this year, customs authorities nationwide seized 11,000 batches of suspected infringing goods, totaling 38.675 million items. Among these seized items were the counterfeit Labubu dolls, which have attracted significant attention from netizens. The key to identifying authenticity is to examine the teeth. The genuine product has nine sharp teeth, while counterfeits often have one or two fewer due to mold defects. That's a tip you can use.

I really enjoy reading everyone's comments under our articles. Netizens are very witty. Somebody said, "One small step for Guanguan (a nickname for customs), one giant leap for IP protection." Another said, "There's only one Labubu, and that's the one released by customs." This shows that people highly value IP rights and consciously support genuine products. Kudos to everyone!

Thank you.