Navigating The Complexities Of Parallel Imports In Chinese Customs Enforcement

What are parallel imports?

The realm of intellectual property, particularly in the context of parallel imports, is a labyrinth of legal intricacies. This article endeavours to demystify the contentious issue of trademark infringement within parallel imports. It offers abrief analysis of the legal underpinnings, criteria for adjudication and some pragmatic guidance for operational practices.

Parallel imports can cause conflicts of interest because of price differences between different countries for the same product. That is, parallel imported products are usually cheaper than the same product sold domestically. Distributors in importing countries do not want such behaviour, and trademark infringement litigation has become the most common means of preventing it.