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WITH intellectual property protection a key part of international business success, German police and customs officials investigating suspected patent violation seized suspect products at the CeBIT trade event in Hannover.
More than 180 officials were involved in the searches at CeBIT last week.
Police did not identify the people or the companies targeted but said the raids were in response to a rising number of “criminal complaints by the holders of patent rights in the run-up to CeBIT.”
CeBIT organisers Deutsche Messe AG has strict protocols and practices related to the protection of intellectual property rights.
Authorities said in a statement that they filled 68 boxes with products, documents and advertising material. The products included gadgets ranging from mobile phones and navigation devices to electronic picture frames.
Of the 51 exhibitors affected by the raids, 24 were from China, 12 from Taiwan and three were from Hong Kong. A further nine companies were German, while there were one each from Poland, the Netherlands and Korea.
At least one company, which was displaying a mobile phone that looked like a copy of the Apple iPhone, had its exhibition stand shut down.
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