OCTOBER 2016

Fire Service Reminds Parents of Halloween Costume Safety

As Halloween approaches, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding parents to protect their children from flammable fancy dress costumes. READ MORE>>>

Interview with Abdullahi Ali: Discussing Investments in Kenya and Somalia

Interview with Abdullahi Ali, Chairman and CEO of Simba Investments and member of the Somalia National Alliance Party (SNAP) READ MORE>>>

Contact lens guidelines available to public by year-end

KUALA LUMPUR: Contact Lens Practice Guidelines for eyecare professionals certified by the Malaysian Optical Council (MOC) have been developed by the Association of Malaysian Optometrists (AMO). READ MORE>>>

AudioQuest Warns of Counterfeit DragonFly®s

Friday, October 21, Irvine, CA-based high-end audio manufacturer AudioQuest issued a warning about what appears to be low-priced, inferior-sounding counterfeits of its discontinued AudioQuest DragonFly v1.2. READ MORE>>>

Camorra clan in ‘discriminatory’ racket

  • By Staff Writer, October 21, 2016, Ansa.it

(ANSA) – Naples, October 21 – A Camorra mafia clan discriminated between Italian and foreign market vendors in extorting protection money, prosecution papers showed Friday. READ MORE>>>

Hawks bust Nike counterfeit operation in KZN

  • By Mphathi Nxumalo and Nokubonga Mthethwa, October 21, 2016, IOL

Durban – The Hawks have seized counterfeit branded goods valued at R5 million in a raid on a factory in Mobeni, Durban. READ MORE>>>

Counterfeit factory shut down by Hawks

SOUTH AFRICA: Police confiscated the counterfeit goods and all manufacturing equipment. A JOINT police operation swooped on and shut down a Mobeni factory today, Thursday 20 October after fake Nike and Guess branded items worth R5-million were seized. READ MORE>>>

Two arrested after more than 18,000 suspected illicit cigarettes were seized in raids

Police and Trading Standards also seized £8,000 cash during dawn raids at two houses in Seaham. Two people have been arrested as more than 18,000 suspected illicit cigarettes were seized following dawn raids in County Durham. READ MORE>>>

Police Seize Thousands Of Dollars In Counterfeit Items, Arrest 24 At Parke County Covered Bridge Festival

  • By Staff Writer, October 20, 2016, wbiw.com

(MANSFIELD) – Indiana State Excise officers arrested 24 people at the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival in Mansfield after tens of thousands of suspected counterfeit items were seized.READ MORE>>>

Ugandans Demand Action on Counterfeit Phones

In shops around Kampala URN came across corrupted inscriptions like Nckia and Nokla which can easily be seen as Nokia and Samsong which can be mistaken for Samsung, among others. There are also a collection of other phones that are fixed with adhesives which peel off with time. READ MORE>>>

Apple files $2 million lawsuit over ‘genuine’ Apple chargers and cables on Amazon that are fake

If a deal on a Lightning cable on Amazon seems too good to be true, it probably is. Patently Apple reports that Apple filed a $2 million trademark infringement case this week against a company called Mobile Star LLC for selling counterfeit power products under Apple’s name on Amazon — products which could put consumers at risk. READ MORE>>>

Counterfeit Car Wheels Could Be Potentially Lethal

  • By Campbell Simpson, October 19, 2016, Gizmodo

If you want some new rims for your Mercedes, here’s a tip: buy the real thing. Industry testing of counterfeits has shown huge quality disparities between cheap copies and genuine wheels, with some third-party cheapies shattering over a regular pothole at just 50km/h. READ MORE>>>

US To Investigate Funding Of Anti-Malaria Initiatives In Nigeria

The US government says it is setting up a framework within Nigeria to help curb the proliferation of fake and adulterated antimalarial drugs. READ MORE>>>

KPDNKK Urged To Go After Those Selling Counterfeit Reflective Strips

KUANTAN, Oct 18 (Bernama) — The Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumer Affairs Ministry has been urged to act quickly on the sale of counterfeit reflective tapes for commercial vehicles in the state. READ MORE>>>

A2IM Warns of Counterfeit CDs Across Amazon.com

Attention music shoppers: Some of those random sellers atop the price search listings on Amazon — you know, the ones offering CDs for a few cents less than Amazon while still boasting the “Fulfillment By Amazon” (FBA) button — may be too good to be true. Independent music trade organization A2IM issued a warning on Tuesday (Oct. 18) alleging a possible rash of counterfeiting across the mega-retailer, with rights holders and labels getting the shaft. READ MORE>>>

Police close down online operation selling fake designer goods

  • By Hao Hsueh-chin and Y.F. Low, October 18, 2016, Focus Taiwan

Taipei, Oct. 18 (CNA) Police announced on Tuesday that they have shut down an online operation selling counterfeit designer goods, seizing fake products worth more than NT$10 million. READ MORE>>>

Six nabbed in Mombasa with Sh5 million counterfeit goods

Six Mombasa residents are being investigated in connection to the sale of counterfeit goods valued at Sh5 million. Ibrahim Bulle, Mombasa anti-counterfeit regional coordinator, said they were arrested at the weekend as part of a two-week operation in residential areas.READ MORE>>>

Merck Launches Regional Hub in Côte d’Ivoire

In Summary;

  • The affiliate office in Côte d’Ivoire will serve as regional hub for Merck’s operations in French speaking countries in Central and West Africa
  • The German science and technology company donated 2 minilabs to Côte d’Ivoire supporting their fight against counterfeit medicines

READ MORE>>>

Report Shows 2.5 Percent of Global Trade is Counterfeit

We’ve discussed specific instances of counterfeiting before, like the ongoing issues at Alibaba, counterfeit sports merchandise and more. Now, according to a study by the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition, we know that approximately 2.5 percent of the global trade (of everything) is counterfeit. That’s a range of between $461 billion to as high as $1.8 trillion in merchandise. READ MORE>>>

Agencies Team Up to Halt Spread of Counterfeit Dental Products

While the Internet has revolutionized commerce, it also has made it easier for the makers of counterfeit products to produce and sell their wares to unsuspecting clientele. To combat these malicious manufacturers, the United Kingdom’s Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is working with the British Dental Industry Association (BDIA) Counterfeit and Substandard Instruments and Devices Initiative (CSIDI) to promote an awareness campaign targeting dental professionals. READ MORE>>>

Car showroom closed for a month for flouting norms

(MENAFN – Gulf Times) The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) has announced a month”;s closure of a car showroom in New Doha area for supplying and selling brand new cars that do not match the prescribed standard specifications. READ MORE>>>

Your brilliant Kickstarter idea could be on sale in China before you’ve even finished funding it

  • By Josh Horwitz, October 17, 2016, QUARTZ

Shenzhen, China. Yekutiel Sherman couldn’t believe his eyes. The Israeli entrepreneur had spent one year designing the product that would make him rich—a smartphone case that unfolds into a selfie stick. He had drawn up prototypes, secured some minimal funds from his family, and launched a crowdfunding campaign. He even shot a professional promo video, showing a couple taking the perfect selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower. READ MORE>>>

Smuggling rackets must be smashed

POLICE in Kilimanjaro Region have reported that they are holding four people over, allegedly, smuggling into the country 200 litres of cooking oil and 1,100 litres of kerosene from Kenya. READ MORE>>>

World of fakes is full of real dangers

  • By Mary Achkhanian, Staff Reporter, October 16, 2016, Gulf News

Dubai: Consumers can be major players in the fight against all sorts of counterfeit products, according to a Department of Economic Development (DED) official. READ MORE>>>

Customs authorities say decline in counterfeit shipments due to awareness

  • By Mary Achkhanian, Staff Reporter, October 16, 2016, Gulf News

Heavy crackdowns on counterfeit products by customs authorities is putting immense pressure on smugglers of counterfeit goods and therefore driving down cases of intellectual property infringing goods in Dubai, a customs official confirmed to Gulf News. READ MORE>>>

The Bourbon So Exclusive That Even Billionaires Can’t Buy It

Ten years ago, no one imagined that bar snobs would eagerly pay upwards of $100 for an ounce of whiskey, or that a loosely organized crime syndicate would steal $100,000 worth of it in 2013. READ MORE>>>

Anti-Counterfeit Agency nabs fake Dettol soaps worth 2M in Mombasa

  • By Joackim Bwana, October 15, 2016, co.ke

Six people were yesterday arrested by the Anti-Counterfeit Agency in Mombasa in connection with selling 4000 pieces of counterfeit Dettol soaps valued at two million shillings. READ MORE>>>

Customs seize tobacco, counterfeit goods

A Moroccan man was apprehended at Larnaca airport after forty kilos of hookah tobacco was found in his luggage, customs said Friday. READ MORE>>>

APD seizes $1.25 Million in counterfeit items during North Austin raid

  • By Marcus Officer, October 14, 2016, com

The Austin Police Organized Crime Unit seized more than a $1 million worth of counterfeit items Friday morning. Police raided a warehouse in North Austin used by a company accused of selling knock off Dell computer equipment online. READ MORE>>>

Counterfeit Motorcycle Helmets seized

  • By Lee Hooi Boon, October 13, 2016, my

BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry enforcement unit seized eight branded counterfeit motorcycle helmets in a operation today. READ MORE>>>

Police: Oceanfront businesses searched for counterfeit goods, drug paraphernalia

  • By Adrienne Marie Mayfield, October 13, 2016, com

September searches of three Virginia Beach Oceanfront businesses yielded more than 1,000 counterfeit items and $9,500 in drug paraphernalia, police say. READ MORE>>>

P10M worth of counterfeit goods seized at CDO

  • By Jigger Jerusalem, October 12, 2016, net

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Customs authorities here and from the office of Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon confiscated P10 million worth of counterfeit imported tobacco products and other goods during raids conducted on at least two warehouses on Wednesday, Bureau of Customs officials said. READ MORE>>>

ACA: Alibaba notorious market for counterfeit car parts

BETHESDA, Md. (Oct. 12, 2016) — The Auto Care Association (ACA) has submitted comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), urging it to relist China-based Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and its family of e-commerce platforms as notorious markets that facilitate the sale of counterfeit auto parts. READ MORE>>>

Demeter Agriculture cries foul over counterfeit seeds on Malawi market

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s seed manufacturing Demeter Agriculture Limited has expressed sadness over mushrooming of counterfeit seeds on the market describing the malpractice as retrogressive. READ MORE>>>

Court Hands Preliminary Victory to Luxottica in Counterfeit Eyewear Case

A Georgia federal judge handed a partial victory to Luxottica Group, which is in the midst of a contributory trademark infringement battle with Greenbriar Marketplace II, LLC (“Greenbriar”) in connection with the sale of counterfeit eyewear. Luxottica, which filed suit in April 2015 in the US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, alleges that the defendants are responsible for the sale of fake Ray-Bans and “faux-kleys,” or fake Oakleys – at two Atlanta shopping centers: Greenbriar Discount Mall and Greenbriar Strip Plaza. READ MORE>>>

Counterfeit Drugs: Nigeria not out of the woods

  • By Sola Ogundipe, Chioma Obinna & Gabriel Olawale, October 11, 2016, Vanguard

All over the world, drug counterfeiting is a potentially deadly phenomenon. In Nigeria it undermines every aspect of medical treatment and health care delivery and is a major cause of suffering and death. The problem of fake, counterfeit, spurious, unwholesome and adulterated drugs has rocked the Nigerian health care system for years on end. READ MORE>>>

JDO Refreshes Carlsberg’s Baltika 3

With increased competition from international premium beers and the threat of counterfeit beer products, Baltika 3 needed to elevate its position and maintain its market share.  JDO was briefed to develop a more premium and modern design for the brand as well as improve stand out on shelf in an increasingly dark and busy category. The agency was encouraged to adopt an evolutionary approach, retaining core existing brand equities such as the label style and the Baltika crest. READ MORE>>>

12m fake phones, accessories seized this year

  • By Noorhan Barakat, October 10, 2016, Gulf News

Dubai: More than 12 million counterfeit mobile phones and mobile accessories were seized by the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai between January and September this year. READ MORE>>>

Brother South Africa assists authorities to shut down counterfeiting operation

Brother International South Africa, in a joint operation with local authorities have shut down a counterfeiting operation south of Johannesburg after a six-month investigation. READ MORE>>>

‘PEOPLE COULD DIE’ Electronic cigarette explodes in patient’s mouth causing injuries similar to a ‘gunshot wound to the face’

A TOP plastic surgeon has issued a stark warning over the use of e-cigarettes after hearing reports of them exploding in people’s mouths – leaving them with injuries similar to those of a gun shot wound. READ MORE>>>

Counterfeit currency racket busted in Odisha, four held

Local police here today busted an inter-state racket involved in the circulation of counterfeit currency in Odisha. READ MORE>>>

Alibaba’s Efforts to Stop Sale of Counterfeit Goods Under Fire

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. ’s commitment to protecting intellectual-property rights is under renewed pressure, with two trade groups—representing more than 1,000 global brands—calling for the Chinese e-commerce giant to be put back on a list of markets known for the sale of counterfeit goods. READ MORE>>>

Fake vodka kills more than 50 people in Ukraine

More than 50 people have died in Ukraine after drinking counterfeit alcohol, while more than 100 cases of poisoning have now been registered. READ MORE>>>

US feed manufacturer Vitech sues overseas distributer for counterfeit product

California-based feed producer, Vitech Bio-Chem Corporation, has filed a lawsuit against its one-time distributor to China.  READ MORE>>>

Shopping for Halloween accessories online? Watch out for counterfeiters

Bringing certain Halloween costumes to life often requires a few special touches. For add-ons such as makeup or spooky novelty contact lenses, consumers often head to the web. But not all Halloween costumes and accessories found online may be safe. READ MORE>>>

Uganda: UNBS Rolls Out E-System to Fight Counterfeit Goods

  • By Jonathan Adengo, October 6, 2016, AllAfrica

Kampala — The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture to reduce the proliferation of counterfeit agricultural produce. READ MORE>>>

Customs seizes $150,000 of fake Australian skincare products: The challenge of fighting counterfeiters in Australia

Counterfeit skincare products to the value of $150,000 have been seized by customs officials after the goods were shipped into the country from China with a fake “Australian Made” logo. READ MORE>>>

Counterfeit Disney and Nickelodeon shirts seized at Port of Norfolk

Counterfeit Disney and Nickelodeon shirts, worth nearly $148,000, were seized Sept. 29 at the Port of Norfolk. READ MORE>>>

Police seize $70,000 in counterfeit clothing during traffic stop

  • By Staff Writer, October 5, 2016, FOX59 Web

MORGAN COUNTY, Ind. – Police confiscated thousands of dollars in counterfeit items after a traffic stop in Morgan County Monday afternoon. According to Indiana State Police, a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement trooper stopped a gold Toyota Sienna minivan for following too closely on eastbound I-70 near the 52 mile marker around 12:45 p.m. Monday. READ MORE>>>

Security experts fear increased risk of hacking after dangerous ‘Mirai’ code is published online

  • By Jeff Parsons, October 4, 2016, Mirror

The code targets internet-connected devices like webcams, routers and phones and turns them into website-targeting bots. READ MORE>>>

Hero Motocorp undertakes drive against spurious parts suppliers

As a part of its drive against counterfeit auto components, the two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp Ltd (HMCL), along with Delhi Police, has conducted raids on the manufacturers and traders of spurious parts in New Delhi. READ MORE>>>

Violating shops warned

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 2: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has a plan to administratively close shops which commit repeated offences, particularly illegally raising the prices of commodities, even if the raise is minimal, reports Annahar daily quoting reliable sources. READ MORE>>>

‘Cheap whites’: The new trend dominating tobacco black markets

  • By Sarantis Michalopoulos, October 3, 2016, com

Tobacco smugglers have found new ways of expanding their illegal activities and now focus on a trend called “cheap whites”, which is raising new challenges for European regulators and Europol. READ MORE>>>

Kubb Brothers sets knocked off by Chinese manufacturer

  • By John Anthony, October 2, 2016, Stuff

A small Kiwi company’s fight to stop its hand-crafted lawn game sets being copied by Chinese manufacturers is highlighting trademark challenges facing New Zealand businesses. READ MORE>>>

Shop boss who flogged fake mobile phone accessories is ordered to pay £330,000 or face jail

Police found a trove of fake Apple, Samsung and Blackberry phone covers in his store in the heart of Strangeways. READ MORE>>>