The idea of infringing on the Olympics trademark seems, to an outsider, to be the daftest way to make a slightly dodgy quid. For certain sure you will be arrested. (Those in our picture are genuine and quite snazzy. Good stuff.)

Six people who tried were arrested by Hong Kong Customs officers. In the raids at Wan Chai, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok, Customs officers from the Intellectual Property Investigation Bureau seized from seven hawker stalls about 350 pieces of goods, including key rings, watches, caps, badges and stickers, worth about $897.

Most of the seized goods bore the Official Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Three men and three women, aged between 40 and 60, were arrested during the Customs’ operation.

After the operation, Customs officers sought help from Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the 29th Olympiad, the trademark owner, in trademark identification. Initial Customs investigation showed that the goods were of low quality and priced about half of the genuine goods sold at official channels.

Hong Kong Customs has stepped up surprise checks in the region, taking stringent enforcement against selling activities of counterfeit Beijing 2008 Olympic Games products. The Beijing 2008 Olympics’ equestrian events will be held in Hong Kong in 2008.
Source: China Daily