What does parallel import mean?
2 Answers
Parallel import refers to the importation of products that have been placed on the market in other countries or regions by the intellectual property rights holder or with their consent, into the country or region where the intellectual property rights holder or exclusive licensee is located, without authorization from the relevant intellectual property rights holder. Relevant information about parallel imports is as follows: 1. The subject of parallel imports is products that carry intellectual property rights, more specifically, intellectual property products, rather than the intellectual property itself. 2. The products targeted by parallel imports are genuine goods obtained through legal channels, not counterfeit goods, nor products imported through illegal channels such as smuggling, and the imported products do not infringe on relevant intellectual property rights. 3. The intellectual property rights carried by parallel import products are protected by law in the importing country. 4. The act of selling the intellectual property products involved in parallel imports by the importer in the importing country is not authorized by the intellectual property rights holder.
My friend recently bought a parallel-imported BMW X5, saving a full 120,000 yuan. Simply put, these are vehicles that dealers source directly from authorized dealerships abroad, bypassing domestic general agents. These cars were originally manufactured for markets like North America or the Middle East, but due to differences in configurations, exchange rate advantages, and skipping middlemen, they can be 10%-30% cheaper than those from 4S stores. However, there are three things to watch out for: first, you need to purchase third-party insurance for the warranty; second, you must obtain a small 3C certification; and third, some configurations may not be compatible with China's fuel quality and road conditions. The other day, he complained to me that the turn signal alert sound was in Arabic—pretty funny when you think about it.
