Strengthen compliance supervision, regulate market order, and promote the healthy and orderly development of the hardware industry

The hardware industry, as an important component of the manufacturing sector, encompasses multiple categories such as construction hardware, tool hardware, and daily-use hardware, and is closely related to people's production and life. In recent years, with the rapid development of the hardware industry, issues such as illegal operations, infringement and counterfeiting, and false advertising have occasionally occurred in some enterprises. These issues not only infringe upon the rights and interests of consumers and legally operating enterprises but also affect the overall image and healthy development of the industry. To regulate the market order of the hardware industry and promote high-quality development in the industry, market supervision departments across the country have continuously strengthened supervision and reinforced compliance guidance, achieving remarkable results.

Reporters learned that market supervision departments across the country have focused on prominent issues in the hardware industry and carried out a series of special rectification actions, with a focus on investigating violations in corporate advertising, intellectual property infringements, and product quality non-conformities. In terms of advertising supervision, regulatory authorities have prioritized the investigation and punishment of violations such as the use of absolute language, false advertising of product efficacy, and misleading consumers. They have imposed penalties on the identified violating enterprises in accordance with the law and urged them to rectify within a specified timeframe. At the same time, they have strengthened the regular supervision of hardware enterprises' advertising, guiding enterprises to establish correct advertising concepts and consciously abide by relevant provisions of the Advertising Law.

In terms of intellectual property protection, regulatory authorities have intensified their efforts to investigate and handle intellectual property infringements in the hardware industry. They have severely cracked down on infringements such as misappropriating others' patents, copying product designs, and counterfeiting others' trademarks, safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of patent owners and trademark owners in accordance with the law. At the same time, they have strengthened the promotion and guidance of intellectual property awareness, organized hardware enterprises to carry out intellectual property training, enhanced their awareness and ability of intellectual property protection, guided enterprises to actively apply for intellectual property protection, and formed a good industry atmosphere of "respecting and protecting intellectual property rights".

In terms of product quality supervision, regulatory authorities have intensified random inspections of hardware products, focusing on products closely related to consumers' life and property safety, such as door locks, fasteners, and tool hardware. Products that fail the random inspection will be ordered to be recalled and removed from the market by the enterprise in accordance with the law, and penalties will be imposed. At the same time, enterprises are urged to establish a sound quality control system, strictly follow relevant national quality standards, strengthen quality control in raw material procurement and production processes, and ensure product quality compliance.

In addition, regulatory authorities have actively strengthened communication and collaboration with hardware industry associations and enterprises, fully leveraging the role of industry associations as bridges and links. They guide industry associations to formulate industry self-discipline norms, promote enterprises to strengthen self-restraint and self-management, and actively practice the concept of compliant operation. Many hardware enterprises have actively responded to the call, proactively improved their compliance management systems, strengthened their compliance awareness, standardized their business practices, and formed a good pattern of "regulatory guidance, association promotion, and enterprise self-discipline".

The relevant person in charge of the market supervision department stated that in the future, they will continue to strengthen the supervision of the hardware industry, carry out regular special rectification actions, severely crack down on various illegal business activities, and further strengthen compliance guidance to assist enterprises in enhancing their compliance management capabilities. They aim to regulate the market order of the hardware industry, promote healthy, orderly, and high-quality development of the hardware industry, and better meet people's production and living needs.