Hi-tech security tags to keep counterfeiters on the hop
New holographic labels are being used for first time
A new security tag is being used for the first time to identify genuine Hong Kong Disneyland merchandise and foil fakes that are being sold across the region.
The new label, a three-dimensional holographic security tag, does not appear on other Disney products around the world.
'The security label identifies the merchandise as coming from Hong Kong Disneyland,' a spokesman for the theme park said.
Hong Kong Disneyland only sells its gifts and souvenirs at two retail outlets at Chek Lap Kok, but when the park opens, they will also be sold at 20 specialty stores and from carts at the Penny's Bay site.
The flagship store at Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui will continue to offer merchandise from Disney films.
The company is increasingly taking a tougher stance over counterfeit products, which are inundating the region in the run-up to the theme park's opening on September 12.
The fake merchandise originates from the mainland, where some genuine articles are being manufactured, and has found a growing market in Hong Kong and around the region as licensed retailers fail to keep up with demand.
In April, Disney Consumer Products said in a statement: 'We are aware of the counterfeit problems in Hong Kong and throughout Asia, and our legal department is currently investigating the most effective way to address the issue.'
The statement added: 'Disney Consumer Products and our licensees plan to better adjust our forecasts and be more flexible to the market opportunity for our film merchandise so we can react faster to demand.'
The supply of products would also be complemented by merchandise acquired from 'alternate sources'.
Disney is facing an uphill battle in clamping down on piracy. Major mainland retailers and department stores say this is because the same mainland factory producing genuine goods under licence sometimes makes fake products as well, albeit of inferior quality and at lower prices.
