Home » Nation

China will give special trademark protection to Walt Disney Co as the iconic US firm prepares to open its first theme park in Shanghai next year, a regulator said yesterday.

Authorities will carry out a yearlong campaign to crack down on Disney counterfeits, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce said, underlining wider concerns that fake products are damaging the country’s reputation.

“(This) will promote the development of a fair and competitive market, and protect China’s international image for safeguarding intellectual property rights,” the statement said, adding the “special operation” would run until October 2016.

The SAIC statement added it would create “emergency teams” to help protect Disney trademarks, increase training for officials to spot illegal behavior and enhance scrutiny of Disney counterfeits online.

Disney, which is developing the US$5.5 billion theme park with state-owned Shanghai Shendi Group, is hoping it can tap the growth in the world’s second-largest economy.

Disney opened its largest store to date in Shanghai in May, and is tapping China’s fast-growing film market. The latest film in its “Avengers” series took the No. 2 spot with its 20.4 billion yuan (US$3.2 billion) at the box office in the country in the first half of the year.

Disney earlier this year delayed the opening of the Shanghai Disneyland resort until the first half of 2016.