Pop Mart has registered the trademark “LAFUFU” as a proactive step to better combat IP infringement. The company’s popular character LABUBU has seen explosive demand both online and offline, with phrases like “impossible to get” and “none available for over two weeks” frequently trending on social media.

As supply struggles to meet demand, knockoff LABUBU toys—often distorted or bald versions—have flooded the market. These copies, dubbed “LAFUFU” by netizens, are sold at ultra-low prices. According to Red Star News, in Daying Town, Zaoqiang County, Hebei Province, nearly every vendor claims to run a factory or family workshop producing LABUBU replicas. Locals describe the phenomenon as “a town obsessed with LABUBU,” with pirated figures openly sold in street stalls for as little as 7 or 8 yuan.