Hanover police told reporters that they had filled 68 boxes with
devices, documents, advertising material and gadgets in what they
say is a crackdown on patent infringement.
CeBIT is a major annual technology trade fair in Hanover at
which manufacturers display and unveil their latest products to the
industry.
Associated Press quoted German police as saying that: "the
background is the number that has been rising for years of criminal
complaints by the holders of patent rights in the run-up to
CeBIT".
The police and customs officials raided 51 stands, saying that
24 of the exhibiting companies were from mainland China, 12 were
from Taiwan, nine from Germany, three from Hong Kong and one from
each of Korea, the Netherlands and Poland.
Police said that they had been alerted to potential patent
violations by patent holders, who had "pointed out to the affected
exhibiting firms in good time the lack of licensing contracts",
according to AP.
Police did not identify any of the companies involved but said
that devices seized included MP3 players, MP4 players, digital
video players and blank CDs and DVDs.
