Will Belarus's apparel industry con Chinese?
Belarus's National Olympic Committee held no talks with the Chinese manufacturers of the uniform for our Olympic athletes about the transfer of design rights to Belarusian apparel industry, the European Radio for Belarus has learned. However, if the Belarusian apparel concern decides to produce a "copy" of the Olympic uniform, it will hardly ask permission from the Chinese. Several months after the Olympic Games in Beijing, no souvenir uniforms of Belarusian athletes have surfaced in local stores. The European Radio for Belarus explores the causes of this delay: either Chinese manufacturers do not give a copyright to our companies or Bellegprom (state-run apparel monopoly) is too slow.
Henadz Alyakseenka, the first vice president of Belarus's National Olympic Committee told the European Radio for Belarus that NOC had signed a contract with the Chinese to manufacture uniforms for Belarusian Olympic athletes up to 2014 and nothing was going to be changed. There were no talks about acquiring the rights for the production of souvenir uniforms by Bellegprom, he said.
Uladzimir Astrouski, the first deputy chairman of Bellegprom Concern, confessed to the European Radio for Belarus that our apparel industry has no relevant high technologies to manufacture Chinese-like sports uniforms. It is possible to make a "copy" to look like an ordinary sport wear. However, Bellegprom has had no plans yet to manufacture copies of the uniform that Belarusian athletes wore in Beijing. But if this decision is taken, Bellegprom will seek no permission from the Chinese manufacturers.
Uladzimir Astrouski: “I think that the design belongs to the Republic of Belarus, since our national team bought this uniform already. I guess there will be no need to seek permission from the Chinese abour the design rights”.
Some time ago, the president of this country advised our apparel industry to steal the design of new shoe and clothing models from Western manufacturers. Therefore, the issue of design copyright for the uniform of Belarusian Olympic athletes should not bother anyone. Apparently, the absence of Olympic uniforms in the Minsk Central Department Store can be explained by the clumsiness of Bellegprom only.
Henadz Alyakseenka, the first vice president of Belarus's National Olympic Committee told the European Radio for Belarus that NOC had signed a contract with the Chinese to manufacture uniforms for Belarusian Olympic athletes up to 2014 and nothing was going to be changed. There were no talks about acquiring the rights for the production of souvenir uniforms by Bellegprom, he said.
Uladzimir Astrouski, the first deputy chairman of Bellegprom Concern, confessed to the European Radio for Belarus that our apparel industry has no relevant high technologies to manufacture Chinese-like sports uniforms. It is possible to make a "copy" to look like an ordinary sport wear. However, Bellegprom has had no plans yet to manufacture copies of the uniform that Belarusian athletes wore in Beijing. But if this decision is taken, Bellegprom will seek no permission from the Chinese manufacturers.
Uladzimir Astrouski: “I think that the design belongs to the Republic of Belarus, since our national team bought this uniform already. I guess there will be no need to seek permission from the Chinese abour the design rights”.
Some time ago, the president of this country advised our apparel industry to steal the design of new shoe and clothing models from Western manufacturers. Therefore, the issue of design copyright for the uniform of Belarusian Olympic athletes should not bother anyone. Apparently, the absence of Olympic uniforms in the Minsk Central Department Store can be explained by the clumsiness of Bellegprom only.
