Don't even bother trying to sue Chinese companies

[eridani]

http://www.manufacturing.net/News-US-Lawsuits-Ineffective-Against-Chinese-Companies.aspx?menuid=36

When an American scooter maker lost patience with cheaper Chinese-made models flooding the United States market, it got some attention by filing an antitrust lawsuit.

Patmont Motor Werks Inc. accused the Chinese government and companies there of making it impossible for the Minden, Nevada-based company to sell its products to Chinese. One aim of the lawsuit was to open China's doors to American-made products.

That improbable goal is now in ashes, when Patmont's lawyers couldn't even track down the companies they were suing to serve them court papers.

An increasing number of companies and individuals are likely to face similar frustration. The flood of Chinese imports has triggered a growing number of lawsuits, but individuals and companies often find it impossible to win damages or other legal redress, especially for lawsuits filed overseas. Foreign companies are also filing lawsuits in Chinese courts, and occasionally winning, against local companies caught violating trademarks, copyrights and patents.

The legal obstacles are unlikely to be removed soon, although China has pledged to curb its mounting trade surpluses with the U.S. and has carried out a nationwide campaign to improve product quality and safety.

Within a decade, however, China is likely to conform more closely to international legal standards, said Gary Hufbauer, a China expert at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a Washington think tank.

[elehhhhna]

1. they don't respect int'l patent law, either