Shanghai authorities are warning consumers to be careful when buying drinks from small stalls along the roadside or in parks, as copycats are selling beverages designed to look just like some famous brands, the Shanghai Morning Post said today.

Producers of the copied drinks make their "clone" products look as similar to famous brands as possible, matching the bottle shape, package color, logo and even a quality label.

For example, the drinks may be branded as "Washasha" to copy the famous "Wahaha".

The drinks are usually sold at small booths outside Metro stations, in parks and at bus stops, the newspaper said.

Producers of the clone drinks may have registered for an industrial permit license with their own name, but label their products with a copycat name, said an industry insider.

"They take advantage of a blind spot in trademark law," the insider said.

(Shanghai Daily September 12, 2007)