Manufacturer took action over copied bricks before Hong Kong’s MTR Corp scandal

The sole licensed mainland Chinese manufacturer of a German-owned brick brand has said that it started legal action over bogus products two months ago, before counterfeits were found on an MTR Corporation construction site, sparking public outcry.

The revelation comes amid intense media and government scrutiny of the MTR Corp’s Tung Chung East station project, where counterfeit bricks from a Yangzhou-based company were allegedly used.

According to reports cited in the manufacturer’s statement, the imitation products, branded “Beijing YiTong”, were passed off as the German-engineered YTong originals by using counterfeit trademarks.

UBlok Advanced Materials, the exclusive licensed manufacturer of YTong products for the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, said it had been proactive in tackling the problem long before the incident came to light.

“As early as two months ago, after learning that counterfeit YTong products had flowed into the Hong Kong market, [UBlok] immediately issued an official statement and actively defended its rights through legal and business channels to protect its trademark rights from infringement and to block counterfeit products from entering the market,” the company said.

The YTong brand, owned by German materials giant Xella, has been used in Hong Kong for more than 30 years in major developments including the city’s airport, with Jetway Building Material serving as the sole agent, according to the company.