CHANG TSI
Insights
As a global leader in multi-industry manufacturing, ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC. (hereinafter referred to as "ITW") has always prioritized trademark protection and consumer rights and interests. In response to counterfeit products appearing in the Chinese market in recent years, ITW and its subsidiary in China, ITW Polymers and Fluids (Wujiang) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "P&F China"), have been relentless in taking decisive legal actions. Recently, our firm assisted ITW in obtaining two more significant administrative penalty decisions in the fight against counterfeit products bearing the "DEVCON" and "PLEXUS" brands, continuously demonstrating its unwavering efforts and firm determination in the field of intellectual property protection.
In July 2025, ITW discovered that Wuxi Guochuan Marine Equipment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Wuxi Guochuan”) was aggressively promoting and selling counterfeit “DEVCON” brand structural adhesive products through cross-border e-commerce platforms to the Southeast Asian market. This conduct not only severely disrupted ITW’s normal sales order in the Southeast Asian market but also posed a significant threat to its brand reputation.
ITW attached great importance to this matter, promptly activated a cross-departmental response mechanism, and immediately engaged our firm as its outside legal team. Subsequently, our legal team quickly formulated a comprehensive action plan for ITW to continuously investigate the case through on-site investigations, online purchases, and other means, tracking the inventory status of the infringing products while awaiting the right time for a raid.
In October 2025, ITW instructed our firm to formally file an administrative complaint with the local Administration for Market Regulation (hereinafter referred to as “AMR”) to pursue raid action. With the key clue provided by ITW and its full cooperation, our firm assisted the officers of the local AMR in precisely targeting the location. Around a dozen sets of counterfeit “DEVCON” brand products were seized on the spot at Wuxi Guochuan’s business premises.
In February 2026, after a comprehensive investigation, the AMR issued a formal penalty decision, confirming that Wuxi Guochuan had constituted acts of infringement of registered trademark rights, ordered it to immediately cease the infringing activities, and imposed administrative penalties including confiscation of counterfeit products and a fine. This penalty decision has been publicly disclosed on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System in accordance with the law.
Dongguan Songze Trading Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Dongguan Songze”) and its affiliated entities (including Shanghai Songze Trading Co., Ltd., etc.) are habitual offenders long engaged in selling counterfeit ITW products. They had previously been subject to civil litigation and criminal complaints filed by ITW due to multiple infringements, bearing corresponding infringing liabilities. In 2025, during online monitoring activities targeting key infringing entities, ITW discovered that Dongguan Songze had “resumed” its counterfeit sales activities.
In response, ITW swiftly activated its response mechanism and collaborated with our firm to develop a targeted enforcement plan. During the action, our legal team employed various methods such as anonymous investigations, online notarized purchases, and tracking to gradually identify the location of the warehouse and the patterns of goods movement. In September 2025, after gathering sufficient evidence, ITW coordinated with the local AMR to conduct a raid action. With the active cooperation of our firm and the local AMR, the officers successfully seized a large quantity of counterfeit “DEVCON” and “PLEXUS” brand structural adhesive products and labels on site.
In March 2026, after a comprehensive investigation, the local AMR issued a formal penalty decision, confirming that Dongguan Songze had constituted acts of infringement of registered trademark rights, and imposed administrative penalties including confiscation of counterfeit products, confiscation of illegal gains, and a fine. This penalty decision has been publicly disclosed on the relevant information publicity system in accordance with the law.
The successful resolution of the above two cases fully demonstrates ITW’s firm stance and efficient execution capability in trademark protection. ITW has always spared no effort in combating counterfeit and infringing products, and cleaning up and rectifying the market. The abovementioned administrative penalties not only have an effective deterrent effect on the infringing entities but also demonstrate the legal consequences of infringing activities to the public through official publicity platforms, further purifying the market environment. In the above legal actions, our firm, as ITW’s outside legal team, assisted it in conducting investigations and evidence collection, filing administrative complaints/raids, and following up on the cases, providing strong support for the successful outcomes of the cases.
Going forward, ITW will continue to strengthen its monitoring and enforcement efforts against counterfeit products, collaborate with local authorities and professional legal teams, persistently advance intellectual property protection work, and safeguard consumers’ legitimate rights and interests as well as its brand reputation. Any attempt to challenge ITW’s bottom line will face resolute legal accountability.
