Unauthorized Printing of CPC Centenary Emblem Crosses a Legal Line: Five More Cases in Longwan, Wenzhou, as 100+ Printers Nationwide Face Investigation

Using the "100th Anniversary of the Founding of the CPC" special emblem without authorization is illegal. Market supervision authorities in Longwan District, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, recently ran a dedicated enforcement campaign and uncovered five more cases of improper use of that emblem.

This year marks the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and the whole country is celebrating in grand style. Some businesses, however, read the occasion as a commercial opening and hoped the centenary emblem would drive product sales — without realizing that doing so breaks the law.

Acting on a tip-off, enforcement officers recently carried out an on-site inspection of a tableware company. They found that the limited-edition gift sets of communal chopsticks and spoons on display in the company's exhibition area — from the packaging pouches, boxes and gift cards to the products themselves — all bore markings resembling the "Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China" and the "CPC Centenary Special Emblem."

Building on that lead, the Longwan District Market Supervision Bureau quickly launched special actions across multiple sectors, seizing unauthorized commercial uses of the centenary emblem and the related goods at one training institution and two gift shops. These included the emblem appearing on roll-up banners in commercial promotion and being marked on items such as crystal medals and stickers. The bureau has now filed cases for investigation against the five business entities involved.

Earlier, in early April, four companies in Jinxiang Town, Cangnan County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, were investigated and penalized in accordance with the law for printing, producing and selling centenary emblems and Party history materials.

Over the past two months, market supervision bureaus across the country have carried out intensive crackdowns on unauthorized printing and use of graphics, text and icons such as "Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the CPC" in marketing, with more than 100 printing enterprises involved under investigation.

The market supervision authorities remind businesses that the "Emblem of the Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China" may not be used in commercial advertising, for trademark production or for any other commercial purpose, nor for private celebrations or mourning activities. Items made with the celebration emblem as an element must be closely tied to the theme of celebrating the centenary of the CPC and must not be used indiscriminately or abused. Consumers who suspect a merchant of illegally using the emblem in commercial activity may call 12345 to report it, and market supervision authorities will handle the matter seriously in accordance with the law.

—Reprinted from China Packaging Network (pack.cn); original link: http://news.pack.cn/show-377665.html