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Where “Made in China” once almost automatically evoked associations with counterfeiting, today we see that Chinese brands themselves are also confronted with imitation. POP MART, the company behind the popular Labubu figures, recently had to take legal action against counterfeit products in Dutch supermarkets. In an earlier blog, we explored <a href="https://www.remarkable.eu/en/insights/made-in-of-liever-niet/">the shifting perceptions around country associations</a>.
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The fight against counterfeiting takes place on several fronts: at the border through Customs, centrally via the Ministry of Finance and ultimately in court. Yet many companies choose not to act, as the costs often seem disproportionate to the damage. Still, any brand that wants to safeguard its market position and IP rights cannot afford to remain passive.
Counterfeiting is a direct violation of intellectual property rights. It imitates the original and rides on the success of the original product. That is why it is crucial to secure the relevant rights:
Abibas shoes clearly violate the registered Adidas trademark. Clothing with a deformed Nike swoosh violates the trademark registration. Additionally, anyone offering perfume in the iconic Chanel bottle will be in conflict with model or 3D trademark rights.
Registered rights therefore form the solid foundation to legally prove and effectively combat counterfeiting.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5073" src="https://admin.remarkable.eu/content/uploads/2025/09/Remarkable-Europe_Abibas-picture-300x180.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="180" srcset="https://admin.remarkable.eu/content/uploads/2025/09/Remarkable-Europe_Abibas-picture-300x180.jpg 300w, https://admin.remarkable.eu/content/uploads/2025/09/Remarkable-Europe_Abibas-picture.jpg 616w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />

What is counterfeiting and how do you protect your brand?

On the 24th of July, the District Court in Den Haag issued an important ruling. POP MART Netherlands, together with its Chinese and Singaporean branches, brought proceedings against a group of Dutch supermarkets. According to POP MART, these supermarkets violated its registered EU trademarks, designs and copyright by selling imitation Labubu figures.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-5075" src="https://admin.remarkable.eu/content/uploads/2025/09/Remarkable-Europe_POP-MART-picture-300x225.webp" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://admin.remarkable.eu/content/uploads/2025/09/Remarkable-Europe_POP-MART-picture-300x225.webp 300w, https://admin.remarkable.eu/content/uploads/2025/09/Remarkable-Europe_POP-MART-picture-1024x768.webp 1024w, https://admin.remarkable.eu/content/uploads/2025/09/Remarkable-Europe_POP-MART-picture-768x576.webp 768w, https://admin.remarkable.eu/content/uploads/2025/09/Remarkable-Europe_POP-MART-picture.webp 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
The court agreed: the Labubu figures were sufficiently protected and the violation was both reasonable and urgent. Not all claims were granted, but the most significant measures were and this even without the supermarkets being heard in advance:
<ul>
<li>Supermarkets had to stop producing, supplying and offering fake Labubus within 48 hours.</li>
<li>This was accompanied by a penalty of €10,000 per day or €500 per product for as long as the violation continued.</li>
<li>Furthermore, seizure of evidence was also permitted, with the necessary access to digital files, data carriers and login details in order to further document the violation.</li>
</ul>
In a nutshell: a strong statement against the sale of counterfeit goods in supermarkets.
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Labubu's from the supermarket shelves

Any company bringing a product to market should ensure its rights are registered in detail. Only then can violations such as counterfeiting be proven and stopped. And not only counterfeit producers, but also the retailers who (re)sell them, can be held responsible.

POP MART vs supermarket