$100 million in counterfeit goods seized in San Francisco - Fisherman's wharf
sfexaminer.com story:

{Officials on Tuesday announced they seized nearly $100 million worth of counterfeit merchandise that was headed to or already at eight stores in Fisherman’s Wharf. Eleven people have been indicted on charges of conspiracy and trafficking in counterfeit goods.

The crackdown — the largest ever on the West Coast for counterfeit merchandise — is an attempt to scare off other merchants in Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown and elsewhere that are tempted to sell the knockoffs, which often look identical, or very similar, to the real thing.}

This has been a long investigation, from 2007, which finally culminated in a sizable number of counterfeits.  (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/31/2010

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Trade in illegal counterfeits increased 350% since 2008 in East Africa
businessdailyafrica.com story:

{The East African Business Council (EABC), a regional traders’ lobby, says the sale of illegal goods, mainly involving the shipment of contraband and counterfeit goods, has risen significantly since last year’s phase-out of cross border tariffs under the EAC customs union.
2 Billion dollars in East Africa is a princely sum, the Kenyan GDP for 2008 was $30.4 Billion or 6.7% of the Kenyan economy.  (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/30/2010

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Nike has no specifics on how to differentiate genuine from counterfeit shoes
help-us.nike.com information on nike website:

{Nike is aware of counterfeit products in the market and is working towards eliminating this problem.
It is interesting that unlike some other manufacturers (maybe not in the shoe industry) Nike does not give specific advice on how to differentiate genuine shoes from fake ones. The only advice Nike can give is to buy shoes from an authorized outlet, i.e. not the websites which sell the counterfeits. Of course a specific way would be to have an authentication marker and detector to definitively say which is which. (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/29/2010

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Even Gold is being counterfeited in Vietnam- 4% of value is being shaved off
thanhniennews.com story:

{Real SJC gold bars are 99.99 percent pure, while counterfeit products have less gold content, between 95 percent and 98 percent, the company announced at a press briefing.

With gold values hovering at around VND29 million per tael, buyers of these counterfeit gold bars can expect to lose some VND1 million on every one-tael bar they purchase, the Ho Chi Minh City-based company said. A tael is equal to 1.2 ounces of gold.

SJC also warned that some sellers are shaving a small amount of gold off the four corners of SJC bars, robbing buyers of between 0.7-1.2 grams. The trick allows these sellers to skim VND1.1 million off every one tael.}

Notice the shaved gold on the corners.  One Bar should sell for $1500. which means the shavers are skimming 4% off the bar.
This means that the person who buys or sells a gold bar of 1.2 ounces is losing $57 according to coinmill.com.  (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/28/2010

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9 tons of counterfeit medicine(anti-maleria, vaccines, & antibiotics) seized in Zanzibar
english.ruvr.ru story:

{Police in eastern Africa seized more than nine tons of counterfeit drugs and arrested 80 people on suspicion of illegal distribution of counterfeit products.

Among the seized medical products there were anti-malaria drugs, various vaccines and antibiotics. According to Interpol, the representatives of six countries, which discovered the counterfeit medicines, are planning to meet next week in Zanzibar to discuss the problem of the proliferation of counterfeit drugs on the African continent.}

Once these counterfeit medicines get smuggled into one country, then they are transported into Europe and the US. Once the criminal entity repackages them.  (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/27/2010

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Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) may be signed in September/Tokyo
bernama.com story:

{Negotiators from the 11 parties namely Japan, the United States, the European Union, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Mexico and Morocco agreed in Washington on Aug 20 to wrap up negotiations in Tokyo in late September.

According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the agreement is expected to take effect in 2011 following the completion of necessary domestic procedures in each signatory party.

Under the new framework, production and trade of labels for counterfeit goods will be prohibited and to make the accord effective, they will call on other countries to join the framework, particularly targeting China and Russia where counterfeit products are widely distributed.}

As soon as a multi-national entity issues a new framework, criminals will stop counterfeiting..  (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/26/2010

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Coach seeking $2mil in statutory damages for 2 stores in St. Louis area 
stltoday.com story:

{Since May 2009, Coach has filed more than 260 civil suits in the U.S., seeking to cut down on knockoffs.

Coach filed the Missouri suits Aug. 19 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District against the owners of FYI Trading Co. in St. Louis and Didi's & Gigi's Purse Strings 'N Things in Bowling Green, about 90 miles northwest of St. Louis.

Both suits allege the owners of the stores sold purses branded with the Coach logo that were counterfeits.

Coach is seeking $2 million in statutory damages per counterfeit mark, or ordering the defendants to pay any profits made by the sales, in addition to attorney's fees and expenses.}

Coach has been aggressive in pursuing counterfeiters in retail locations. which is a valid strategy, as these retail locations have some visibility.  (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/25/2010

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Random shopping of medicines in India turn up .04% fake
moneylife.in story:

{Speaking at the 4th International conference on 'Counterfeiting and Piracy' organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Tapan Ray, director general, Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) says, "Government finds only 0.04% medicines as spurious in India. The study done by Ministry of Health was based on incognito shopping of random medicines at 6,000 chemists. The question is whether any chemist will keep spurious drugs openly on shelf?"

He said, "Anything that is not genuine is counterfeit. Section 17 of Drugs and Cosmetics act 1940 specifies that spurious, adulterated and misbranded are counterfeits."

Dr Naik also expressed concerns about expired drug diversion. The illegal expired drugs recycling racket is operational and can harm consumers.

What makes counterfeit drugs different from other counterfeit products like electronics, consumer goods is that these drugs are even capable of killing someone. Vince Suneja, commercial attaché, market access and compliance at the US Embassy in India, said, "Drugs have become commodity which can also kill.  There is need for consumer awareness and need to question regarding medicines source, supply chain, medicine approval and prescription. Everybody thinks they know business. The most expensive drug may not work. What is the acceptable level of risk?" }


 The first problem India has  is they cannot agree what is considered a counterfeit medicine. Is it an improperly prescribed medicine? Is it expired? And is it available only if the chemist(Pharmacist) decides he can take the risk? Does that make the pharmacist responsible, not the manufacturer? I think India needs to get a handle of this problem before people get hurt (physically or monetarily.  (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/24/2010

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62million items confiscated worth $50.7mil seized in Saudi Arabia
arabnews.com story:

{Saleh Al-Khelaiwi told reporters(director general of Saudi Arabia) at the Saudi Journalist Association on Sunday that fraud and counterfeiting costs the Kingdom dearly.

He said the confiscated items were worth SR190 million.

He added that all ship containers are checked and random samples taken to the Ministry of Commerce’s laboratories to check them for their quality.

He said more than 30,000 samples were examined during the first half of this fiscal year.}

190 million Saudi Riyals is equal to $50.7 million according to Google.  (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/23/2010

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100000 counterfeit items worth $1mil seized in NY
nypost.com story:

{Nine people were arrested in the afternoon raid at 1177 Broadway off West 27th Street in the Flatiron District, where Port Authority police recovered perfume and watches worth about $1 million.
NY always seems to have plenty of counterfeit watches...  especially Rolex.  This time a significant dent was made in the counterfeit stock.  (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/22/2010

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$6.2 million counterfeit True Religion jeans seized in LA
labusinessjournal.com story:

{a joint operation seized $6.2 million in counterfeit True Religion jeans.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers learned earlier this month that the counterfeit jeans were being shipped from China, and then informed ICE and LAPD officers of the fake products, according to Jaime Ruiz, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection unit.

The company’s jeans, adorned with a signature horseshoe stitching on the back pockets, retail for $167 to $319 and are sold in department stores, boutiques and True Religion-owned outlets}

The Horseshoe signature jeans apparently were faked quite a bit.   (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/21/2010

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43,000 counterfeit SquareD circuit breakers sold in Florida
plantengineering.com story:

{The voluntary recall was requested by Miami Breaker, Inc. pursuant to an Agreed Consent Order for Permanent Injunctive Relief, signed by U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore in a lawsuit brought by Square D in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

“Over 43,000 of these counterfeit products were sold into the field by these unauthorized re-sellers,” said Bill Snyder, vice president, channel development, Schneider Electric. “These counterfeit products are inferior in quality and pose risks to the public. They can fail to trip in the event of an overload or a short circuit thereby creating a risk of fire,” according to Snyder. “Anyone choosing to deal in the marketplace where these counterfeit goods are sold is putting people and property in danger.”

CPSC recall page}

This is similar to the recall notice sent out by Schneider Electric earlier. (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/20/2010

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Retailers may be sued if they do not take anti-counterfeit steps
practicalecommerce.com story:

{Trademark owners are in a constant battle to protect their brands on the Internet. They are required to enforce their trademark rights or they could lose those rights. Instead of the traditional approach of going directly after the company or individual that is counterfeiting products or otherwise using a trademark in an improper way, some companies have tried taking a different approach, which is to pursue the website retailer who is selling the counterfeit products directly to the customer or assisting the counterfeiter in selling the items to customers.

For example, Tiffany & Company was spending millions of dollars chasing down counterfeit jewelry and other items on the Internet. Large groups of offenders were listing counterfeit Tiffany items on eBay. Therefore, Tiffany decided to sue eBay for trademark infringement claiming that the online auction house facilitated the sale of the counterfeit items. The Federal District Court in Manhattan disagreed with Tiffany on all counts and in April of this year the Second Circuit Court of Appeals agreed.}

More in the article is explained regarding the lawsuits ebay has endured because of their failure not to police counterfeit items on their website. (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/19/2010

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Nokia walks fine line: China makes counterfeits and phones for Nokia
mb.com.ph story:

{However, there is some truth to the stories on fake products and, indeed, many counterfeit phones are produced in China. A counterfeit phone is defined as an exact or indistinguishable replica of a genuine product and, as such, infringes upon the genuine product’s design and registered trademark. Counterfeiting is a global criminal activity that affects many successful consumer product companies in a wide range of industries and Nokia is no exception.

Wherever it exists, counterfeiting also damages local economies and negatively affects people with legitimate jobs in the supply chain.

The prevalence of counterfeit phones and accessories is growing globally and we see this trend also in the Southeast Asia Pacific region. There are a number of reasons for this including the enormous growth in the number of mobile phone users in the region, the feature rich devices desired by consumers even in the entry markets and the increased availability and range of fake devices in the market.}

China is an enigma in many ways. (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/18/2010

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Nokia states counterfeit phones produced in China: is criminal
sunnewsonline.com story:

{China phones in various shapes and sizes now flood the Computer Village, Ikeja ranging from Noklar, Tecno and Egitel.
These manufacturers’ products are mostly bought by the middle class owing to the fact that most of them come as dual SIMs, making them the preferred mobile device. Recently, Head of Government Affairs for Nokia Middle East and Africa, Jussi He disclosed that all mobile devices manufactured in China are not substandard.

The Nokia executive was however quick to add that many counterfeit phones are indeed produced in China and described the act as a global criminal activity that affects many successful consumer product companies in a wide range of industries and Nokia is not an exception.}

Nokia is saying both things, that counterfeits are substandard but some are not when built in China. And the reason is that Nokia has some of their phones made in China. (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/17/2010

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Greece seized 22million counterfeits from total of 118 mil in EU
ekathimerini.com story:

{Greek customs officials seized 21.9 million counterfeit products last year, out of a total of 118 million bootleg goods confiscated in the 27 EU states, the report said. Cigarettes account for about a fifth (19 percent) of counterfeit goods seized by customs officials across the EU. Other tobacco products account for another 16 percent of the goods seized, with fake designer goods and bootleg medicines making up another 16 percent of confiscated products. }

Apparently Greece accounts for 20% of all counterfeits seized in EU. (Tony Zafiropoulos)

8/16/2010

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Motorola H700 headsets may be fake - here is how to check
reviews.ebay.com information guide:

{The new Motorola H700 is a small, attractive, and good headset in terms of functionality, sound quality and style. I should know, I have two of them. Unfortunately, one of them is fake. I purchased it through eBay. I want to write this guide to help others to not make the same mistake that I did. The retail price for the H700 is between $99 - $129 at the stores. You can find them on eBay for as low as $26 plus shipping. I won't name the seller that I dealt with on this purchase but be aware that if you're purchasing a Morolola H700 for around $30, it is probably a fake.

I have had good success buying things on eBay. I have purchased cell phones, golf balls, range finders, etc. without any issues. I do my research, and bid on items that I feel confident with and buy from sellers with great feedbacks. But the old adage is true, if some thing looks too good to be true, it probably is.}

This reviewer has made 4 sets of pictures with the real and fake headsets. It is a very good instructional informational piece. (Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/15/2010

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$1million of counterfeit electric pumps destroyed in Dubai
arabianbusiness.com story:

{Sharjah last month saw a dramatic example of construction's black market. Following a discovery by Italian electric pump manufacturer Pedrollo that products bearing its name were offered in a showroom in Dubai by Chinese firm Shano International, with its main storage in Sharjah, the Economic Development Departments of Sharjah and Dubai swooped on the outlet, claiming and destroying 13,750 pumps based on the Pedrollo design.

The value of the pumps was estimated at US$ 1 million, according to Pedrollo's general manager Joseph Gomes.}

Counterfeit products are showing up everywhere there is a potential of counterfeiting opportunity.  No industry is immune. (Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/14/2010

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470,000 Blackberry batteries should be checked for counterfeits
cpsc.gov News Bulletin:

Asurion Recalls Counterfeit BlackBerry®-branded Batteries Due to Burn and Fire Hazards

{Name of Product: Counterfeit BlackBerry®-branded cell phone batteries in refurbished devices

Units: About 470,000

Distributor: Asurion, of Smyrna, Tenn.

Hazard: The counterfeit batteries can overheat, posing burn and fire hazards.

Incidents/Injuries: Asurion has received two reports of counterfeit BlackBerry®-branded batteries overheating, causing minor burns to a consumer's finger and minor property damage to a sofa and car seat.

Description: This recall involves only BlackBerry®-branded batteries provided with refurbished Blackberry®-branded devices. The refurbished devices were sent to consumers by Asurion through a handset protection program. The batteries were used across virtually all models of refurbished BlackBerry devices distributed by Asurion prior to November 1, 2009. Genuine Blackberry-branded batteries are not included in this recall. No other Asurion or BlackBerry products are involved in this recall.}

You can check your battery to see if you have a counterfeit battery with the following "Battery Exchange Program" website.  It is interesting to note the refurbished batteries that were counterfeited, likely seen as an easy counterfeit target. Companies should create anti-counterfeit techniques with our Authentication Marker. (Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/13/2010

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Virgin Islands Ministry of Health has Counterfeit medicine program
sknvibes.com story:

{Minister of Health and Social Development Honourable Dancia Penn OBE, QC delivered opening remarks in which she underscored the danger posed by counterfeit medicines, as well as the challenge of combating the trade of counterfeit medicines in the Territory.

According to Honourable Penn it has already been proven that the Territory is not untouched by counterfeit medicines, as cases of counterfeits in the local medicine supply chain were confirmed in 2006 and 2007. “The only way to keep counterfeits out of the medicine supply chain is for a community to be vigilant and to safeguard the chain through an inter-sectoral approach,” the Minister said.

During the seminar, participants were shown part of a BBC video documentary that revealed the global nature of the trade in counterfeit medicines and its sometimes deadly impacts of developing countries around the world. There was also an interactive PowerPoint presentation that touched on the history, definition, and an overview of counterfeit medicines.}

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It is always a good thing to educate various parts of the developing world. (Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/13/2010

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Counterfeit surgical Marlex mesh are not sterile
Securingpharma.com story:

{A counterfeit surgical mesh which was the subject of a US Food and Drug Administration warning back in June has been confirmed as posing a serious health risk to patients.

The fake versions of CR Bard's flat polypropylene mesh - commonly known as Marlex mesh and used in the repair of hernias and chest wall defects - have been tested by the FDA and found not to be sterile even though they are labelled as such.}

With this kind of a counterfeit, patients can be hurt.  Thi is no longer just a criminal making more money. Now the criminal endeavor can potentially hurt patients.
(Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/12/2010

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Senators state that Pentagon supply chain is not secure enough against counterfeits
Strategicsourceror.com story:

{Senators Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Tom Carper of Delaware stated their belief in a letter dated August 6 that the Pentagon's supply chain is not secure enough to fully protect against imitation supplies. The counterfeit supplies, if used, could jeopardize the safety of American soldiers and undermine the effectiveness of American weapons.

"Counterfeit parts manufactured offshore not only hurt American manufacturing and competitiveness, but in this case, have the potential to put our military at risk and jeopardize our national security missions," said Senator Brown.}

This is not news to us on this blog, as we chronicle counterfeit products being seized month after month. Also it just so happens we have the answer to the supply chain problem.  Authentication Markers plus detection equipment.(Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/11/2010

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Difficult to spot electrical counterfeit products
automation.com story:

{Manufacturers and trade associations are devoting much attention to the effects of counterfeit electrical products.   People who work in manufacturing facilities should be mindful of the consequences of using inferior goods marketed deceptively under brand names of reputable companies. Such items known to be counterfeited include control relays, circuit breakers, receptacles, ground fault circuit interrupters and other electrical products.

Everyone in the supply chain is at risk including distributors, electrical contractors, system integrators, machine builders, and users. The financial liability of such an incident will fall on those who participated in the supply and distribution of the counterfeit products.}

But it must be done, one must know what is real and fake, since if tolerances and specifications are not met the fake part can cause fires or electrical problems.

We at Swiss Authentication have a solution for this problem as it has been outlined on this page many times before. (start here Authentication Markers)
(Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/10/2010

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How to spot counterfeit GM auto parts
goodwrench.com article:

{Spotting a counterfeit part isn't always easy – that's because counterfeit parts makers make every effort to fool consumers. But there are some things you can do to help protect yourself:

• If someone else is installing the part, ask to see both the part and its package.
• Inspect the packaging. If it's flimsy or lacks a name brand or logo, it might be counterfeit. Pay close attention to the packaging graphics. Counterfeits often have graphics or a name similar to – but not quite the same as – those you're used to seeing. Counterfeiters often use colors, art work and fonts on their packaging that are similar to the original.

The best way to protect yourself? Buy genuine GM parts from authorized GM dealers. }

It is interesting that most manufacturers place the onus on the consumer or mechanic. But the companies themselves can be proactive with Authentication Markers and Detectors.(Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/9/2010

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Counterfeiters are targeting mid to low priced products
nytimes.com story:

{After years of knocking off luxury products like $2,800 Louis Vuitton handbags, criminals are discovering there is money to be made in faking the more ordinary — like $295 Kooba bags and $140 Ugg boots. In California, the authorities recently seized a shipment of counterfeit Angel Soft toilet paper.

“If there is demand, there will be supply,” said John Spink, associate director of the Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection Program at Michigan State University.

The answer is increasingly knockoffs of lesser-known brands, which are easy to sell on the Internet, can be priced higher than obvious fakes, and avoid the aggressive programs by the big luxury brands to protect their labels, retail companies and customs enforcement officials say. }

The lesser known products are not as sophisticated in anti-counterfeiting efforts and the consumers are thinking they are getting a bargain when the price is not that much of a difference. It is the current soft spot which criminals are targeting and getting away with it.  Not quite as much profit in $140 Ugg boots, but better to make some money and not go to jail then the alternative.(Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/8/2010

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$143 million in Cisco counterfeit equipment seized
crn.com story:

{Network Raider concerned a staggeringly large amount of counterfeited Cisco network gear -- 700-plus products, totaling more than $143 million -- manufactured in China and procured via the Internet from sites such as eBay

Sometime prior Ashoor’s arrest last June, CDS Federal purchased 200 counterfeit Cisco GBICs from an online vendor in Hong Kong via eBay; while specific GBICs models can cost hundreds of dollars, Ashoor purchased the counterfeit product from the Chinese vendor for approximately $25 a unit, despite the fact that the Marine Corps contract agreed to pay CDS Federal $595 per unit.}

If it is too good to be true it is.  A Cisco GBIC Catalyst module for $25 per unit? and no red flags were raised??

A quick search for a Gigabit Cisco Interface module on Amazon costs $320. Of course some GBIC modules are more than that. Eventually Customs Border Patrol put two and two together and seized the counterfeit products.(Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/7/2010

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Draft ACTA Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement concerns developing countries
southcentre.org story:

{The European Union (EU), The United States, Japan and 8 other countries are negotiating an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) outside multilateral forums like the WTO and WIPO. The ACTA pursues an agenda of enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights that go beyond the standards under the TRIPS Agreement. Similar standards are being promoted in developing countries, particularly in Africa, through a web of national and regional anti-counterfeiting laws under persuasion and encouragement from the developed countries.

As stated by the former US Trade Representative Susan Schwab, the goal of ACTA is to “establish, among nations committed to strong IPR protection, a common standard for IPR enforcement to combat global infringements of IPR particularly in the context of counterfeiting and piracy that addresses today’s challenges, in terms of increasing international cooperation, strengthening the framework of practices that contribute to effective enforcement of IPRs and strengthening relevant IPR enforcement measures themselves.” Thus, ACTA seeks to establish new global standards for IPR enforcement and provide for increased cooperation.

The draft ACTA text contains the following six chapters: 1) Initial Provisions (and definitions), 2) Legal Framework for Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights, 3) International Cooperation, 4) Enforcement Practices, 5) Institutional Arrangements, and 6) Final Provisions.}

Near the end of the story the conclusion states that developing countries should be concerned with the ACTA as it can affect the WIPO and WTO multilateral organizations.
Specifically:
Therefore, developing countries should question the legitimacy of the ACTA negotiations and also highlight in multilateral forums how such negotiations are undermining the existing balance between IP and public policy issues in respect of food security, access to medicines and access to knowledge.

The concern is interesting because it states affordability not the dangers of IP encroachment  by developing countries and China.  Is this a cultural misunderstanding as a Malaysian Professor once stated in this blog? Here is another reason why companies cannot wait for governments to make the laws and capture the criminals. Companies should be proactive and develop non reverse engineer products methods. (Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/6/2010

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43,600 Counterfeit Square D Circuit breakers recalled
upi.com story:

{About 43,600 Square D circuit breakers from Miami Breaker of Miami were distributed through wholesalers from March 2005 through July 2006 for about $3.50 for a single pole breaker and about $8.50 for a double pole breaker, the commission said.

The breakers labeled "Square D" or "SQD" have been deemed counterfeit products that can fail to trip when an overload of power occurs, posing a fire risk.

The counterfeit circuit breakers marked as "Square D" involved in the recall include models QO115, QO120, QO130, QO215, QO220, QO230, QO240, QO250, and QO260.}

Apparently the Square D will have an inspector come out to check the circuit breaker to see if it is counterfeit or not.  It would be nice if there was a way to check for authentic versus fake products (like an Authentication marker and Detector). (Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/5/2010

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300 counterfeit products seized in Keady, Ontario: no arrests
markdalestandard.com story:

{Officers with the RCMP seized more than 300 counterfeit purses, sunglasses, jewelry and wallets during a sweeping bust at the Keady Farmer's Market.

Acting on a tip, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police patrolled the popular market on July 29 and confiscated products from "various venders."

Sgt. Marc LaPorte, an RCMP media relations officer, said cease and desist orders were handed to the vendors, but no charges will be laid

RCMP officers spent part of July 29 educating vendors and market officials on how to spot and handle counterfeit products, LaPorte said.}

Looking into the 'market' it looks like it is what it says, and there is a farmers market where farmers sell their produce and livestock goods. It seems that the RCMP gave the farmers the benefit of the doubt and just seized the counterfeit goods, while also giving them some education in the world of trademark violations. (Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/4/2010

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900,000 counterfeit goods seized in Malaysia first 6mo of 2010
bernama.com story:

{The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry seized over 900,000 pirated and counterfeit products worth RM16.5 million from January to June this year.

"Johor, Klang Valley and Penang were identified as the hotspots for imitation products as the seizures made in the three states were higher than other states," she told reporters after launching a state-level anti-piracy campaign on Wednesday.}

There are some blogs and news agencies placing doubt on the full extent of counterfeiting products in the world.
Problem is even if the total counterfeit products are not in the $200 to $300 Billion dollar range, there are always more counterfeit products seized in every country and there are verifiable products being seized.  and 16.5 million Ringgits are equal to $5.2 million.
 (Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/3/2010

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2 indicted on $49k worth of fake Nike and Football Jerseys
infozine.com story:

{Brent Darrell Luna, 25, of Nixa, and Lukas Antonio Rivas, 21, of Springfield, were charged in a six-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Wednesday, July 28, 2010.

Luna is charged with one count of trafficking in counterfeit Nike athletic shoes and one count of trafficking in counterfeit NFL football jerseys. Luna is also charged with smuggling $48,464 worth of Nike athletic shoes into the United States.

Rivas is charged with two counts of trafficking in counterfeit Nike athletic shoes.}

This is actually the second indictment in a couple of months in Missouri with regard to counterfeit products. (Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/2/2010

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EU seized 118 million counterfeit products in 2009
ec.europa.eu story:

{The statistics published on 22 July 2010 by the European Commission show that customs registered over 43,500 cases of detentions of goods suspected of infringing an IPR at the EU's external border. The results show that cooperation between customs, industry and the EU’s trading partners is critically important for ensuring the highest level of protection for industry and consumers.

Cigarettes, labels and tags and medicines are the main categories of goods detained. Counterfeited products for daily use, posing a potential danger to citizens’ health account for 18% of all detentions (i.e. suspected trademark infringements of food and beverages, body care items, medicines, electrical household goods and toys). The number of articles detained decreased in 2009 to around 118 million articles, as a result of the overall downturn in trade last year. The main difference compared to the previous year concerns a significantly lower level of interceptions involving DVDs/CDs.}

What is most interesting in the data file of the EU, is that most of the items came in by ship and were imported (not smuggled) in a standard way. So counterfeit products are brought into the country like legitimate products and attempts are made to pass them off as real.(Tony Zafiropoulos)

08/1/2010

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