An eastern Chinese customs has confiscated 600 pirate FIFA soccer balls ahead of the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

The customs in the eastern coastal city Ningbo said they on Tuesday seized the fake products all painted with the logo of the world soccer ruling body FIFA, identifying the exporter as a travel agency in the north Chinese city Baotou.

The customs didn't disclose where these fake balls were intended for.

The Ningbo customs said they have been order by their superiors to "keep a sharp eye" on the World Cup-related products.

"We have held various World Cup-related seminars for customs officers," said a customs official. "We are now very familiar with the World Cup goods and the products sanctioned by FIFA."

"The Ningbo customs will ensure no fake World Cup goods to flow out of here," he added.

China has built a legal framework to safeguard intellectual property rights since Beijing won the right to host the 2008 Olympics in 2001.

The country has mounted an unusually aggressive campaign to prevent unauthorized use of Olympic symbols. The government is devoting money and manpower, treating it as a national priority.

Explicitly banned were the unauthorized use of phrases such as "Olympiad" and "Beijing 2008" and the motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger."
 
(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2006)