China. The land of cheap knockoffs where even counterfeit products can be rated on a scale for how close to authentic they are. At the end of the day, though, there’s nothing that beats the real deal and it’s even worse when you think you bought the real thing, only to be tricked by a blatant fake. The companies feel your pain (and so do they) and Razer actually did something about it.
Working the local police force, Razer was able to bust a group of people who had been illegally selling counterfeit products under the Razer brand to unsuspecting (and likely also suspecting) customers. The counterfeiters caught in the raid have since been jailed and fined with thousands of fake Razer products seized by police. Each of the culprits have been fined 140,000 RMB (about US$22,000) and will receive one year of jail time for their crimes.
Of course, while this won’t mean the complete and utter end of the counterfeit black market in China, it represents a big step for Razer and for the electronics industry that these kinds of steps can be taken to thwart the offending criminals.
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RAZER WORKS WITH POLICE TO BUST COUNTERFEIT RING
Persons caught illegally selling infringing products jailed and fined; thousands of imitation Razer products seized in raid
For Release on May 20, 2015:
SHANGHAI – Razer™, a world leader in connected devices and software for gamers, today announced the sentencing of two men arrested for selling counterfeit Razer products online in China. Haikui Lin and Ping Gong were each committed to a year in prison and fined 140,000RMB, in addition to a 150,000RMB fine paid to Razer.
“Counterfeit goods put a huge toll on innovation and growth across many industries worldwide,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer Co-Founder and CEO. “By investing in bringing down these operations, Razer hopes to set an example that this kind of criminal activity will not be tolerated.”
The International Criminal Court (ICC) estimates the cost on counterfeit goods on tax revenue and additional welfare spending is up to US$125 billion in developed countries alone and that 2.5 million jobs are lost as a result.
About Razer
Razer™ is a world leader in connected devices and software for gamers.
Razer is transforming the way people play games, engage with other gamers and identify with the gamer lifestyle. Having won the coveted “Best of CES” award consecutively for five years, the company’s leadership in product innovation continues to create new categories for the gaming community that is estimated to have over 1 billion gamers worldwide.
Razer’s award-winning design and technology include an array of user interface and systems devices, voice-over IP for gamers and a cloud platform for customizing and enhancing gaming devices.
Founded in 2005, Razer is backed by Intel Capital, IDG-Accel and Heliconia Capital Management (Heliconia), a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore investment company Temasek. For more information visit.
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