If you read the introduction to my
blog, I referenced "The Knockout", a Chinese TV
series which I "borrowed" (ahem) for the English and
Chinese title of my blog.
The Knockout's story starts in 2000, a time in China I look
back on with nostalgia. In the anti-counterfeiting world,
everything was analogue. Products were tangible (even movies came
on a disc), cash was hard and business was done by voice –
often over a short range "Little Smart" phones. At that
time, you found infringing products either by patrolling trade
fairs and markets, from "informants", who are essentially
professional whistleblowers (see my last posting) who found goods in
warehouses or factories, and through seizures made by customs at
the border. It was always exciting to receive a Customs
notification, followed by tantalizing pictures of a container
opened, carton opened, and our target products inside.
