Notes

Makeup or Fakeup?: The Need to Regulate Counterfeit Cosmetics Through Improved Chinese Intellectual Property Enforcement

October 3, 2019

This Note examines whether new developments in intellectual property enforcement are able to fix the notorious counterfeiting issue in China, particularly with counterfeit cosmetics. Counterfeit cosmetics are a threat to public safety in the United States and globally, especially as the cosmetics industry continues to expand. There are two opposing views on whether China’s intellectual property regime—in light of the 2017 to 2019 developments—is able to address the issue. This Note proposes that even with recent developments, current laws and enforcement methods do not reduce counterfeit production. Instead, this Note argues that the Chinese government should use educational campaigns to improve citizens’ opinions of intellectual property rights, using the practice of the 2008 Olympics as a guide. Stronger support leads to more effective enforcement methods.

October 2019

No. 1