SEPTEMBER 2016

It’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil Day – Is Your EVOO Real Or Fake?

  • By Larry Olmsted, September 30, 2016, Forbes

It’s National Extra Virgin Olive Oil Day – though I’m not sure how or why – and while I generally abhor made up promotional “holidays” designed by marketers to sell more of the hundreds of products that now have their own days, weeks or even months, I’ll make an exception for Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), because it is so near and dear to my heart – and so confusing for consumers.  READ MORE>>>

HP is now letting consumers remove software that blocks third-party ink cartridges in its printers

  • By Keith Collins, September 30, 2016, Quartz

HP earlier this month distributed a software update that prevented owners of certain OfficeJet printers from using third-party ink cartridges, which are typically less expensive than cartridges made by HP.  READ MORE>>>

Costco ordered to pay $5.5M for selling counterfeit Tiffany’s rings

  • By Staff Writer, September 30, 2016, com

A federal jury told Costco to pay Tiffany and Co. $5.5 million in compensation for selling counterfeit Tiffany diamond engagement rings. READ MORE>>>

Hyundai Expands Campaign to Educate Customers on Counterfeit Auto Parts

Hyundai announced it is expanding its integrated advertising and public relations campaign aimed at warning American drivers of the risks involved when using counterfeit automotive parts with a new YouTube video. READ MORE>>>

How To Spot A Fake Omega Wristwatch

Omega, which was founded in 1848, is one of the world’s oldest, most highly respected, and popular watch manufacturers, so it should come as no surprise that the brand is frequently the target of counterfeiters.  Knock-off reproductions vary in quality and detail with some so close in design to the original watch that the case back must be removed and the movement examined in order to verify the watch’s authenticity. READ MORE>>>

Cubs, MLB seek ex parte seizure of counterfeit merchandise sold outside Wrigley Field

In the world of major league sports, licensing team trademarks for their use in merchandise and apparel has become big business. The international licensing industry group Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) has reported that sports licensing revenues in 2013 grew to $698 in revenues on $12.8 billion in retail sales, making 2013 the fourth straight year of revenue growth in this sector. The collegiate category, which includes colleges and universities competing in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sporting events, accounted for $209 million in licensing royalties during 2013. READ MORE>>>

Sting nets over $2 million in bogus pharmaceuticals

Myanmar’s deputy home affairs minister said yesterday that authorities have in recent weeks seized K2.8 billion (US$2.3 million) worth of counterfeit drugs, expired medicines and related production materials. READ MORE>>>

Dangerous boom in counterfeit pop ‘will threaten UK once sugar tax comes into force’

The government’s planned sugar tax will spark a dangerous boom in counterfeit fizzy drinks, top experts warned today. An “illegal market will open up as tobacco-style regulation is extended to alcohol, food and soft drinks”, according to the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). READ MORE>>>

Counterfeit drugs: ‘People are dying every day’

  • By Matthew Wall, September 27, 2016, BBC

Imagine seeing your child suffering from malaria, one of the biggest killers of children across the world. Symptoms include high fever, sweating, vomiting and convulsions. READ MORE>>>

US man sentenced for counterfeit Burberry sales

A US man who sold counterfeit Burberry, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Chanel products online has been jailed for two and half years. READ MORE>>>

PM urged to evolve national policy for pharmacists

LAHORE: A large number of pharmacists including representatives of academia, hospitals and industry, besides drug inspectors, regulators, consultants, lawyers and students gathered in the Punjab University’s College of Pharmacy to celebrate the World Pharmacists Day on Sunday. READ MORE>>>

CREE Inc. alleges ILMG, Lumitact sells counterfeit flashlights

LOS ANGELES – A Goleta business alleges a Missouri corporation is manufacturing flashlights using its marks without permission. READ MORE>>>

Myeong-dong fake brand merchants arrested

A group of four individuals who made and sold imitation goods in the popular shopping district of Myeong-dong, Seoul, were arrested by the police Monday. READ MORE>>>

Huge fine for company which imported dangerous toys from China that could have choked children

A company has been fined £18,000 for selling fake and counterfeit goods destined for the Christmas market. READ MORE>>>

Outrageous EpiPen prices lead some people to make their own

  • By Selena Larson, September 24, 2016, CNN-Money

A man sits in a dimly lit room and fills a syringe with clear liquid. After a few minutes of combining medical equipment like a puzzle, the YouTube video cuts to footage of him injecting himself. READ MORE>>>

Fake designer handbags worth almost £10m seized in Yorkshire this year

  • By Andrew Hirst, September 24, 2016, Examiner

Fake designer handbags worth nearly £10million have been seized by Trading Standards and Border Control officers in Yorkshire this year. READ MORE>>>

Governments Band Together to Address Antibiotic Resistance

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 24 2016 (IPS) – The looming threat of a world where even minor infections are deadly has led governments to commit to collective action against antibiotic resistance at the UN General Assembly earlier this week. READ MORE>>>

UK law enforcement and clubs unite for Football Against Fakes

Enforcement officials and Premier League clubs have come together to highlight the issue of counterfeiting in the UK football industry. Officers from the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) attended the event at the Emirates Stadium in London today .READ MORE>>>

BASCAP: Intermediaries play crucial role to protect supply chains from counterfeiting and piracy

The International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) joined the International Trademark Association (INTA) on 21 September in Beijing to host the third in a global series of workshops under the theme ‘Intermediaries and Rights Holders – Working Together to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy’. READ MORE>>>

Fantasy Jewels alleged to have sold counterfeit Cartier jewelry

SAN FRANCISCO – A jewelry store in San Rafael’s Northgate Mall is accused of selling counterfeit Cartier products. READ MORE>>>

We Asked an Expert How to Spot the Most Popular Counterfeit Items in the UK

  • By Biju Belinky, September 22, 2016, Vice

PUNE: Police have recently raided over 100 auto shops across the country for allegedly selling counterfeit spare parts after receiving a tip-off from a major automaker and a component supplier.  READ MORE>>>

Automakers, component suppliers take on counterfeit spares sellers

PUNE: Police have recently raided over 100 auto shops across the country for allegedly selling counterfeit spare parts after receiving a tip-off from a major automaker and a component supplier.  READ MORE>>>

What Does Fake Viagra Do To The Body? ‘World’s Largest’ Counterfeit Viagra Plant Discovered

Polish police announced Wednesday an unprecedented raid of a factory that produced counterfeit pills for erectile dysfunction and steroids; the raid was a hard strike against counterfeit drug trafficking, a trade that hides on the internet and is often difficult to track or prosecute. READ MORE>>>

KRA, brewers renew pact to protect brands

A draft alcohol regulation currently with the Cabinet offers local beer makers brand protection against imports as the government mounts a tough war on counterfeit liquor. The Act which has repealed the so-called Mututho Laws compels beer distributors to disclose consent letters and other details from foreign brewing firms that allow locals to trade in their imported alcoholic beverages.  READ MORE>>>

US rejects consignments of Karnataka made soaps, food products for being ‘unsafe’

The US has reportedly rejected many consignments of soap and detergent manufactured imported under the brands of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) and MTR. The products were however found to be fake. READ MORE>>>

Police uncover world’s largest illegal Viagra factory

  • By Catherine Hardy, September 21, 2016, EuroNews

Police in Poland say they have uncovered what is thought to be the world’s largest illegal Viagra and drug factory. READ MORE>>>

US rejects consignments of Karnataka made soaps, food products for being ‘unsafe’

The US has reportedly rejected many consignments of soap and detergent manufactured imported under the brands of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) and MTR. The products were however found to be fake. READ MORE>>>

Hawks confiscate counterfeit goods worth about R7.5m in EC

CAPE TOWN – The Hawks in the Eastern Cape have confiscated counterfeit clothing worth approximately R7.5 million in Butterworth.  READ MORE>>>

Aldi caught in fishy trademark suit

Discount supermarket chain Aldi has been targeted in a trademark infringement lawsuit by a US-based tuna company.READ MORE>>>

Programmer arrested for counterfeiting, reselling Shanghai Disneyland tickets

A man surnamed Bai has been arrested by Shanghai police for counterfeiting and reselling Shanghai Disneyland tickets, Peeple’s Daily Online reported on Sept. 19.READ MORE>>>

Caught! Hong Kong fair exhibitor arrested as she sold counterfeit jewellery to undercover official

Customs seizes nearly 90 necklaces and pairs of earrings worth HK$56,000 and resembling Van Cleef & Arpels products from booth at annual show. An exhibitor was arrested on the final day of Hong Kong’s international jewellery show in Wan Chai after she allegedly sold suspected counterfeit products to an undercover customs officer at her booth on Monday afternoon, the Post has learned. READ MORE>>>

China – Switzerland’s new online market place

Chinese online retailers are targeting customers looking for a bargain in expensive Switzerland. More and more Swiss are being seduced by the unbeatable prices on offer. READ MORE>>>

Chile Issues Alert Over Faulty Chinese Condoms

  •  By Stephanie Larsen, September 18, 2016, Snopes.com

“Made in China” is a phrase oftentimes used pejoratively to describe cheap but low-quality goods made in China and then exported in mass quantities to America and other countries. In a country that had a one-child policy for nearly 30 years, though, one product that wouldn’t be expected to be defective has proved faulty. On 23 August 2016, numerous news sources started reporting that Chile discovered 1.2 million condoms their government had imported from China for use in its public health program turned out to be defective. READ MORE>>>

Illicit trade a security threat, region warned

Illicit trade is a serious security threat as it encourages widespread criminality, an official said as the second regional anti-illicit trade conference concluded Friday in Nairobi, Kenya. READ MORE>>>

Counterfeit liquor cartels penetrate high-end market

A cartel that has penetrated the alcohol industry with counterfeit liquor supplied in branded bottles has taken its activities a notch higher by printing thousands of fake Kenya Revenue Authority stamps. READ MORE>>>

EABC holds Anti-illicit Trade Conference in Nairobi

The Second Regional Anti-Illicit Trade Conference was this past Thursday held in Nairobi. The conference organised by East African Business Council (EABC) in collaboration with Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) and the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives, mainly focused on seeking practical solutions on the ever growing issue of counterfeits, piracy and other forms of intellectual property infringement, smuggling, substandard goods, transit fraud and dumping and trade in prohibited goods and products.READ MORE>>>

Watch sniffer dogs uncover £12,000 of illegal cigarettes at Hull stores

They are necessary in any successful raid. But the real value of sniffer dogs in rooting out counterfeit items can truly be seen in these pictures and video from a raid on more than half a dozen Hull shops this week.READ MORE>>>

Delhi police raids shops selling spurious parts under Greaves Cotton brand

The police seized more than 3,144 spurious auto parts and counterfeit packaging materials in New Delhi. Greaves Cotton, one of India’s largest diesel auto engine manufacturers, shared inputs with the Delhi police, which led to raids on two shops in New Delhi selling spurious parts branded as ‘Greaves’. READ MORE>>>

AHRCC counterfeit medicines issue: Vigilance arrests doctor couple

Bhubaneswar: State Vigilance on Friday arrested two doctors of Acharya Harihar Cancer Research Centre (AHCRC) in Cuttack on charge of showing undue favours to a certain pharmaceutical agency. According to information, doctor couple Diptirani Samant and her husband Surendra Senapati were grilled by Vigilance sleuths earlier on the day. They were subsequently arrested and have been court forwarded, sources said. READ MORE>>>

East African investors seek to curb rising illicit trade

East African business community kicked off a two-day meeting in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Thursday to seek ways of tackling illicit trade — a key source of revenue loss across the region. The meeting was organized by the East African Business Council (EABC), a private sector association comprising investors involved in exporting and importing in five East African Community (EAC) member states — Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi — in collaboration with the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM). READ MORE>>>

EXCLUSIVE: How British tourists buying counterfeit handbags in Dubai are funding Kim Jong-un’s nuclear missile program

  • By Staff Reporter, September 15, 2016, Daily Mail

The UN Security Council has begun drawing up even tighter sanctions after North Korea conducted its fifth and biggest missile test last week. South Korea accused Kim Jong-un of ‘maniacal recklessness’ and the North Korean ambassador to London was called to the Foreign Office to be told how seriously Britain viewed the test as a breach of the non-proliferation treaty. READ MORE>>>

Counterfeit Parts Of Aircraft And Defense Products Could Proliferate Through 3D Printing

3D printing of aircraft and other defense parts certainly transforms the military support environment but the threat of counterfeit parts could fuel a grey market. READ MORE>>>

‘Exclusive’ champagne and cocktail bar prosecuted after counterfeit vodka found

The owners of bar in an upmarket village have been prosecuted after conterfeit vodka was found on the premises. The company who run Bodega bar in Monton , Eccles, has been fined for being in possession of the counterfeit spirit at the premises. READ MORE>>>

Wow! Stuff wins IP battles against Gift House and B&M

  • By Billy Langsworthy, September 13, 2016, Toy News

“This is a victory for inventors and toy companies the world over who work together to develop great toys,” said Wow! Stuff. Wow! Stuff has secured a double victory in the Court of Appeal and Intellectual Property Enterprise Court  against Gift House International an discount retailer B&M Retail. READ MORE>>>

Vibram invests in brand protection strategy

NI drugs seizures hit a 10-year peak

  • By Staff Reporter, September 12, 2016, ITV

Police have revealed drugs seizures in Northern Ireland are at a 10-year peak. Officers carried out 5,597 seizures and made 2,953 arrests in the 12 months from April 2015 to March 2016. READ MORE>>>

1,300 suspected trademark-infringing wallets, purses and bags detained by Singapore Customs

Singapore Custom announced in a media release on Friday (9 September) that it has detained more than 1,300 pieces of suspected trademark infringing goods from a shipment that was imported form China to Singapore. READ MORE>>>

Indonesia proposes alcohol ban in Bali

The party could soon be over in one of the world’s most beer-fuelled tourism spots, the Indonesian island of Bali, under a new law that would ban the drinking of alcohol.   READ MORE>>>

IDI,YLKI Push for More Strict Monitoring over Drug Distribution

  • By Danang Firmanto, September 10, 2016, tempo.co

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The Chairman of Indonesia’s Doctors Association (IDI), Daeng Mohammad Faqih, has said that one of the ways through which Indonesia could stem the proliferation and trade of counterfeit drugs is by strengthening the existing monitoring and enforcement mechanism, and called for the Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency (BPOM) to tighten up its’ monitoring over the importation of drugs and its’ precursors. “There needs to be more stringent monitoring at the downstream level,” he said in Jakarta on Saturday, September 10, 2016. READ MORE>>>

Fake Samsung phones worth Sh6.5m seized in Nairobi

The Anti-Counterfeit Agency seized 276 counterfeit Samsung phones worth Sh6.5 million during a swoop in Nairobi on Friday.Two shopkeepers were arrested in the crackdown by ACA, working with Anti-Illicit Trade Agency Ltd, – the appointed Samsung brand protection agency. READ MORE>>>

Color contact lens shipper pleads guilty to counterfeiting

LAS VEGAS: A Las Vegas man whose company, Candy Color Lenses, filled internet orders across the U.S. has admitted he illegally imported counterfeit contact lenses from Asia and sold them without a prescription. READ MORE>>>

Counterfeit print consumables: short term gain, long term pain

  • By Christine Horton, September 8, 2016, IT PRO
In April this year, print vendor Kyocera Document Solutions revealed it had seized fraudulent goods worth in excess of €5m during that month alone, the start of its financial year – compared to the previous financial year where more than 100,000 units, worth in excess of €10m, were seized.  READ MORE>>>

Fake Britain: dangerous counterfeit xenon bulbs are being sold online

Unscrupulous wheeler dealers are putting lives at risk by flogging fake xenon headlight bulbs through internet auction sites, an investigation by the BBC has found. READ MORE>>>

Counterfeit lanterns and toys seized by customs ahead of Mid-Autumn Festival

With the Mid-Autumn Festival looming, Hong Kong Customs has confiscated more than 1,400 falsely-branded lanterns, toys and items of stationery with a combined value of HK$48,000 in a city-wide operation against the sale of counterfeit goods. READ MORE>>>

The Best Spirit Company Inc announces that Mexican police find 10,000 bottles of fake Whisky in Aguascalientes – Mexico

NEW YORK, NY – 09/06/2016 (PRESS RELEASE JET) — Federal Police (PGR) in Aguascalientes said an analysis of the supposed Williamson 18 and Paddington’s whisky revealed is was fake whisky. READ MORE>>>

P8M worth of counterfeit valves seized in QC, Manila

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) seized some P8 million worth of fake Kitz valves and other items in a simultaneous operations in Quezon City and Manila last week. READ MORE>>>

Lagos reiterates zero tolerance for fake drugs, seals illegal pharmacies

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Healthcare, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga, disclosed this after a recent raid of Ikorodu Local Government Area by the State Task force on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods. READ MORE>>>

Recession: Reality bites

  • By Denrele Animasaun, September 4, 2016, Vanguard
As if Nigerians need to be told that the country has slipped into recession, it has been felt many times over. The ordinary man on the street would have confirmed that many months ago. It is a fact that to many Nigerians that Nigeria has never been out of recession.READ MORE>>>

Samsungs, Teslas, and hoverboards: Why lithium-ion batteries go up in flames

SAN FRANCISCO —  The burning lithium-ion batteries that caused a massive recall of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones highlight the conundrum tech companies face as they look for more powerful, lightweight and easily recharged batteries to power myriad consumer devices. READ MORE>>>

Fate of Shanghai’s Most Notorious ‘Fake Market’ Shows Changing Approach to Counterfeits

  • By Veronica Hernandez, September 2, 2016, Ying Daily

Last May, multiple media outlets announced that the infamous Han City Fashion & Accessories Plaza on West Nanjing Road would be closing at the beginning of July. Many tourists and locals come to Han City to shop for counterfeit bags, shoes, clothes, electronics, as well as a variety of other illegal items such as brass knuckles and mace. When the mall first opened, it earned the nickname “Taobao City” for the remarkable diversity of fake products a shopper could acquire there. READ MORE>>>

When Lacoste India trolled Amazon India on stage (perhaps unwittingly)

If it’s not from a Lacoste store, that tee you bought through your favourite e-tailer is probably counterfeit. READ MORE>>>

Ticketmaster warns punters not to post photos online of tickets to big concerts and sporting events because scammers can steal the barcode

  • By Bath Echo News Team, September 1, 2016, DailyMail

Ticketmaster is warning punters to hide the barcodes on their tickets after several recent high-profile cases of theft from social media posts. READ MORE>>>

Ticketmaster warns punters not to post photos online of tickets to big concerts and sporting events because scammers can steal the barcode

  • By Bath Echo News Team, September 1, 2016, DailyMail

Ticketmaster is warning punters to hide the barcodes on their tickets after several recent high-profile cases of theft from social media posts. READ MORE>>>

Kicking Fakes to the Curb

Serving an eviction notice is a routine task for law enforcement officers, but when police arrived at a Long Island property in late June, failure to pay rent was the least of the transgressions going on. READ MORE>>>