ISLE OF Man control maker STRIX uncovered pirated copies of its kettle controls on six stands at the recent white goods exhibition Domotechnica in Cologne, Germany.

Most of the companies displaying products that used the copycat parts were Chinese. Two were manufacturers - Ninghai Number Five from Ningbo and Xinghui. The rest were traders - Guangdong Stationary and Sporting Goods, Yuyao Seastar Electronics, J&R Electronics. The sixth was a European trader, First Austria.

German trade police were informed.

Most of the companies when approached by STRIX staff, removed the offending goods from their stand. However, two - Ninghai and First Austria - did not.

Most disturbing, STRIX consumer safety manager Richard Moorhouse told ERT weekly was the fact that First Austria's counterfeit kettles carried German standards approvals marks.

STRIX will be pursuing the matter with the standards authorities.

Mr Moorhouse said: "For some reason counterfeit kettles are able to get third-party verification and that should not happen."

STRIX has been monitoring shows around the world for the past four or five years, taking action against counterfeiters who exhibit at them.

However, the problem still exists. Mr Moorhouse believes exhibition organisers should take some responsibility.

"A lot more work could be done up front by exhibition organisers to ensure that safety and international copyright rights are not compromised. We are spending an awful lot of money to exhibit at these shows and to find ourselves alongside exhibitors offering products fitted with counterfeit controls is upsetting. Exhibition organisers must be concerned by that."

On March 28, a European conference on counterfeiting is to be held in Brussels.

The Chinese government is sending delegates from its Entry and Exit Inspection and Quarantine Department.

The Chinese, said Mr Moorhouse, are taking the threat of counterfeiting seriously because of the damage it can do to their own legitimate industry.

He found the Chinese authorities "very supportive and cooperative" when STRIX had brought the activities of China-based counterfeiters to their attention.

The Brussels conference - "on the threat to the European engineering industry" - is being organised by Orgalime with the backing of the European Commission.

Orgalime, which claims to be the voice of the European Engineering Industry in Brussels, represents more than 100,000 companies in 20 European countries. All are involved in the mechanical, electrical, electronic and metalworking industries.