Automechanika Returning to Shanghai in December

Automechanika Shanghai – one of China’s leading professional forums for the automotive parts, components and aftermarket industry – will take place from December 5 to 7 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. With over 1,000 exhibitors in six exhibition halls, the 2007 event will be without question the largest Automechanika show ever held in China.

Exhibitors from 24 countries & regions will be in attendance, including those from Belgium, Brazil, China, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the UK and the USA. The fair will also feature the Automechanika Academy and the Match-Making Forum, as in previous years.

According to the US Federal Trade Commission, product piracy costs the automobile industry more than € 9 billion every year, and the situation in China, where unprecedented economic growth has brought about an unparalleled surge in various illegal activities in regards to intellectual property, is critical. Playing its part in the fight against fake products, Messe Frankfurt launched the large-scale ‘Messe Frankfurt Against Copying’ campaign in January 2006, to provide information about protecting brands and products against piracy at exhibitions. A special display stand will be set up at Automechanika Shanghai 2007, where visitors can find information about Messe Frankfurt’s initiative, and exhibitors can go to seek legal advice from an intellectual property professional.

The Quality Brands Protection Committee (QBPC), an organisation registered under the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment, has organised nine member companies belonging to the Automotive Industry Working Group – Bosch, BMW, Chrysler, Daimler, Delphi, Ford, General Motors, Peugeot-Citroen, and Volkswagen – jointly with two other well known automotive parts manufacturers, Mann-Hummel and ZF, to participate in Automechanika Shanghai 2007. The organisers of Automechanika Shanghai hope that the QBPC’s message will be heard by thousands of parts dealers and buyers from across the country.

“Our goal is to stress the importance of using genuine spare parts in regards to consumer and public safety, by demonstrating the serious risks and damage caused by counterfeited auto parts,” says Ms Joann Chan, Aftersales New Initiative & Brand Protection Manager for General Motors in China. “The companies wish to promote the protection and development of intellectual property rights (IPR) in the automotive industry as a key element in consumer safety and in advocating an orderly and legal environment for business competition. We hope to increase public awareness of counterfeiting problems in the automotive industry, promote cooperation between companies, and actively assist Chinese Government in eradicating counterfeiting and protecting each company’s intellectual property rights.”

Automechanika Shanghai is organised by Messe Frankfurt in partnership with the China National Automotive Industry International Corporation. For information, visitwww.automechanika.messefrankfurt.com or email auto@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com