"Counterfeit producers either make alcohol by using additives to extract chemicals from denatured alcohol or import it illegally, from Poland, we suspect," Steiner said.}

“The Obama Administration continues to combat this problem by ensuring that U.S. trading partners are complying with trade agreements, conducting a range of targeted outreach efforts, and working with foreign leaders to ensure that the fight against counterfeit and pirated goods is global. The President has made it clear that protecting intellectual property is a priority, and several departments and agencies in this administration are working cooperatively in their commitment to foster an environment where innovation can thrive and creativity is rewarded.”}

Federal, state and local law enforcement officials, part of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, confiscated about $40 million worth of counterfeit goods, including fake Rolex watches, Coach handbags, and Nike shoes, as well as pirated DVDs and fake pharmaceutical products, in a sweep of more than 30 U.S. cities.}

Authorities have detected syndicates working round the clock to cash in on World Cup fever.

"Recently, there is an increasing number of cases where cheap PV cell modules manufactured in China are disguised with the labels of famous manufactures and sold at high prices," said TUV Rheinland, a Germany-based firm that offers a service to certify PV cells, etc. "Some of such fake PV cells break in a year even though there is a guarantee of 25 years."}

if a manufacturer or distributor intentionally induces another to infringe a trademark, or if it continues to supply its product to one whom it knows or has reason to know is engaging in trademark infringement, the manufacturer or distributor is contributorially responsible for any harm done.}

During the operational phase, additional seizures of more than 25 million cigarettes also took place in some EU ports.}

A tout, who spoke on condition of anonymity, allowed The Australian to inspect one of the fake units which, he said, could be sourced from wholesalers for $55 each and and sold on the blackmarket for $400.

He alleged that his supplier was a Customs employee who had acquired the phones in China at a cost of $18.50 each. He alleged the employee avoided Customs' usual vetting procedures to import handsets in consignments of 5000 and 10,000 each.

"(The customers) generally want to have something that looks like the real thing, so they can say that they have an iPhone," the seller said at the time.

Last year, Customs seized 72 consignments of fake mobile phone products.}

“But if they wait for serialization to be regulated, they may not have time to implement the change, and they may be passing up on many of the benefits available now.”

“The business of counterfeiting products and quality marks is anything but a peccadillo,” warns Dirk Eilers, CEO of the product services division at TÜV SÜD AG. “Product piracy not only causes immense damage to the economy as a whole, but also gambles with the safety and health of consumers.”}

SEW-Eurodrive says that it has observed recent increases in the off-shore manufacture and importation of counterfeit gear-units and motors. Overseas makers are joining up with dishonest local importers to bring on these substandard units to the Australian market.

It points out this rise to advance in reverse-engineering methods that have made the illegal imitation of well-known products more possible.

The company says that the industry is still recognizing quite a number of suspect units in Australian factories.

It cautions that installing such equipment-units and motors can harm the gear, and counterfeit products will inexorably require to be substituted at cost.}

The willingness of consumers to buy counterfeit goods also varies according to the type of product. Disposable income plays a much larger role when it comes to clothing, where the preference for originality rises with income.

Where there is a danger to health, e.g., that posed by fake pharmaceuticals, income becomes much less important and the majority of consumers maintain loyalty to genuine brands.}

"There are going to be counterfeit products being imported and created and trying to be sold the whole way through. That's just a normal part of it," Martin Snedden, chief executive of Rugby New Zealand 2011, told the Daily Post.

The commercial rights for the tournament are owned by the International Rugby Board and that organisation has a team whose job is to look out for those things and do something about them.}

LasVegasSun.com story:

"Plaintiff has expended substantial time, resources and effort to obtain an excellent reputation for itself and its family of (trademarks)," New York-based Coach said in its lawsuit. "Defendant is now unjustly enriched and is benefiting from property rights that rightfully belong to plaintiff."}

pharmatimes.com story: