U.S. Golf Manufacturers Strike a Million Dollar Blow to Counterfeiters.

GUANGDONG, FUJIAN & ZHEJIANG PROVINCES, China -- The US Golf Manufacturer's Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group (comprised of Acushnet Company -- Titleist and Cobra Golf, Callaway Golf Company, Cleveland Golf, PING, Nike, TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company and MacGregor Golf) working with the Chinese anti-counterfeiting authorities has continued its fight against counterfeiting of golf equipment in China with a new series of successful anti-counterfeiting raids by the government authorities against manufacturers in the Chinese cities of Dongguan, Ningbo and Xiamen.

Chinese government enforcement authorities responding to complaints by the Golf Industry Anti-Counterfeiting Group launched simultaneous raids over three days against five factories in Dongguan, two factories in Ningbo and four factories in Xiamen. The raids focused on the manufacturers of counterfeit products and resulted in the seizure of thousands of counterfeit golf clubs, golf bags, shirts, accessories and production equipment. In this latest operation, over 10,000 pieces of counterfeit products from all brands were seized.

This series of raids follows the high profile series of actions taken by the Chinese government in response to petitioning activities by the American golf companies in Guangdong province in January 2005 where it is estimated that over USD1,000,000 worth of counterfeit golf equipment was seized and subsequently destroyed by the Chinese authorities.

Loo Shih Yann, an attorney with the law firm Baker & McKenzie that is coordinating efforts in China on behalf of the Golf Industry Anti-Counterfeiting Group, said that the Chinese authorities have shown resolute determination to assist in the battle against counterfeiters. This is demonstrated by the breadth of the operation covering 11 factories in three different provinces.