AUGUST 2017

Counterfeit goods are big business; $460 billion worth of fake merchandise was bought and sold in 2016, according to the International Trademark Association, with sneakers, luxury handbags, electronics, and sunglasses among the most popular items. READ MORE>>>
Counterfeit goods are big business; $460 billion worth of fake merchandise was bought and sold in 2016, according to the International Trademark Association, with sneakers, luxury handbags, electronics, and sunglasses among the most popular items. READ MORE>>>
  •  By Phuket Gazette, August 30, 2017, The Nation
The ECD Police force and the Commander-in-Chief of Royal Thai Navy Region 3 visited the reported location and found 293 items including handbags, purses and belts, all imitations of luxury brand names such as Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Hermes which belonged to Lam. READ MORE>>>
Foodstuff was the most frequently intercepted counterfeit product during a joint World Customs Organization (WCO) operation in Asia Pacific. READ MORE>>>
Three publishing giants are suing a Sacramento man for allegedly selling counterfeit copies of their textbooks online. READ MORE>>>
Chinese counterfeits are costing Korean manufacturers up to US$7.2 billion a year, according to a report published by Business Korea. The country’s Office of Patent Administration found nearly 65,000 Chinese counterfeits of Korean products on popular e-commerce site Alibaba in 2016, hitting sales to the tune of KRW8 trillion. READ MORE>>>
Mumbai: The brand licensing industry, now in its “nascent stage” in India, is set to grow manifold in the foreseeable future with rising brand consciousness among consumers and higher penetration of modern retail and e-commerce, industry experts said.READ MORE>>>
… To encourage innovation, intellectual property rights will see better protection and producers and sellers of counterfeit and shoddy products will face tougher penalties, Li said. … READ MORE>>>
 Agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized an estimated $310,500 in children’s luggage and backpacks in late July.

READ MORE>>>

The latest round of fake pain pills responsible for overdoses in Middle Georgia contains a fentanyl analogue not intended for human use, the GBI said Friday.  READ MORE>>>
  •  By Tim Darnell, August 24, 2017, 11 ALIVE
ATLANTA – Four people were arrested late Thursday afternoon in a counterfeit bag raid at a southwest Atlanta retail location. READ MORE>>>
Sales of counterfeit foetal bovine serum (FBS) – a reagent used in the production of biologic drugs and vaccines – are on the rise, according to report in Nature.. READ MORE>>>
Sales of counterfeit foetal bovine serum (FBS) – a reagent used in the production of biologic drugs and vaccines – are on the rise, according to report in Nature.. READ MORE>>>
The inability to buy hyped streetwear brands in South Korea has fuelled one of the world’s most sophisticated markets for counterfeit goods, according to a new documentary from Highsnobiety. READ MORE>>>
Newport police said they seized $700,000 worth of counterfeit goods. READ MORE>>>
 Revenue officer at Dublin Port have seized smuggled alcohol worth €6,800 as part of a routine inspection.READ MORE>>>
Nearly 1,000 cases of counterfeit Budweiser and Corona beer manufactured in China have been destroyed by local authorities in Cambodia, following a complaint from the two brands’ sole distributor in the southeastern Asian country. READ MORE>>>
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has seized 160,000 pairs of shoes falsely marked with brand names from six retail outlets and arrested two Chinese men. READ MORE>>>

China sued for counterfeit trademarks amid trade talks

The European Commission has given the go-ahead for member states to sue China for counterfeit trademarks despite ongoing negotiations over a bilateral food and drink deal. READ MORE>>>
Less than a month after Venice launched its #EnjoyRespectVenezia campaign aimed at changing tourist behaviour through fines, encouragement and a little bit of public shaming, Florence has followed suit. READ MORE>>>
KOTA KINABALU: Consumers in Sabah have been advised to report traders selling counterfeit goods in the market to enable the state chapter of the domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism ministry (KPDNKK) to take action against them. READ MORE>>>
  •  By Samhati Bhattacharjya , August 19, 2017, ibt
Singapore said that a 34-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly selling fake luxury watches online. This latest arrest comes in a crack down on those who sell counterfeit products on the internet. READ MORE>>>
  • By Jeff Rossen and Josh Davis, August 19, 2017, TODAY
With excitement building over the solar eclipse set to take place on Aug. 21, anyone looking to view the rare phenomenon will need a pair of special eclipse glasses to avoid the harmful effects of staring directly at the sun. READ MORE>>>
The DEA and Tempe Police Department seized about 30,000 counterfeit pills containing the powerful and deadly opioid fentanyl. READ MORE>>>
  • By Mary-Ann Soh, August 18, 2017, asia one
The police a cracking down on those who sell counterfeit products on the Internet. READ MORE>>>
About 1,000 pairs of solar eclipse glasses are being recalled in the Meridian area. READ MORE>>>
ST. LOUIS • A federal indictment handed down this week accuses a man of selling “large quantities” of fake Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors and other apparel that would be worth $250,000 if real. READ MORE>>>
  • By Samuel White, August 17, 2017, EURACTIV
The European Commission will not block member states’ attempts to sue China over its use of counterfeit trademarks and has insisted a future bilateral deal with the Asian superpower will bring “significant benefits” for Europe’s quality food producers. READ MORE>>>
Memories of last year’s Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recalls will resurface once you hear the story about the AT&T refurbished Samsung Galaxy Note 4. READ MORE>>>
SINGAPORE: A man has been arrested for allegedly selling counterfeit luxury watches and watch accessories online, the police announced in a news release on Friday (Aug 18).  READ MORE>>>
  • By Sarah Ferguson Writer, August 17, 2017, DailyMail

On the most recent episode of Kylie Jenner‘s reality show Life of Kylie, she heads to Los Angeles‘ Santee Alley where she finds tables full of counterfeit make-up with her brand’s label on the boxes. READ MORE>>>

Police recovered counterfeit sneakers worth over R400 000 in early yesterday morning after receiving a tip-off that a truck was travelling through the area with illicit goods. READ MORE>>>

The European Commission will not block member states’ attempts to sue China over its use of counterfeit trademarks and has insisted a future bilateral deal with the Asian superpower will bring “significant benefits” for Europe’s quality food producers. READ MORE>>>

When it comes to the company’s Galaxy Note line, it seems that Samsung just can’t catch a break. Even those living under a rock knew about the Galaxy Note 7 saga, which Samsung seemingly bounced back from with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. However, memories from that confusing and messy era have resurfaced with today’s recall of over 10,000 Galaxy Note 4 batteries. READ MORE>>>

In recent months while screening samples of heroin they had acquired on the street, British police discovered a drug whose appearance they had been dreading — fentanyl, the dangerously strong painkiller that killed Prince and gained a foothold as part of the American opioid epidemic. READ MORE>>>

  • By Joanne Waller, August 16, 2017, ITV News

A 70-year- old man who sold dangerous counterfeit cigarettes from his home has been handed a suspended prison sentence and left over £9,500 out of pocket. READ MORE>>>

  • By Bwembya Mutale and Mike Mubanga, August 16, 2017, AllAfrica

With the official Chipolopolo replica jersey yet to hit the market, black market traders have taken the initiative by rolling out counterfeit Mafro kit. READ MORE>>>

  • By JDSupra, August 15, 2017, IP Lustitia

The sale of branded goods can be a complicated affair, especially when the line between counterfeits and ‘authorized’ goods can be blurry at times. This is highlighted in the sale of ‘grey goods’, which are items obtained from licenced manufacturers without the authorisation of the licensor. Having discussed the criminality of the sale of grey goods last year (more here), the decision of the Court of Appeal was appealed by the defendants, ultimately ending up on the desk of the Supreme Court, which handed down its judgment in early August. READ MORE>>>

  • By WCMH, August 15, 2017, News2

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, MN (WCMH) – US Customs and Border Protection recently announced the seizure of a shipment of 36,000 toy airplanes. READ MORE>>>

Costco’s going to pay for selling “Tiffany” engagement rings that weren’t made by Tiffany. READ MORE>>>

Motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson has sued a group of Chinese counterfeiters allegedly selling unauthorised versions of its goods online. READ MORE>>>

  • By Raquel Rutledge, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WTLV, August 14, 2017, WCSH 6 Portland

Mexican authorities swept through 31 resorts, restaurants and nightclubs in Cancun and Playa del Carmen in recent days, suspending operations at two for unsanitary alcohol and in the process discovered a sketchy manufacturer that was supplying tourist hot spots. READ MORE>>>

  • By Jonathan Wosen, August 14, 2017, BBC

Donald Trump is set to launch an investigation into China’s trade practices later, a move which could lead to the US imposing sanctions. READ MORE>>>

  • By Jonathan Wosen, August 14, 2017, STAT

Most people trust that their medicine matches the description on the bottle. But what if it doesn’t?. READ MORE>>>

While Papua New Guinean’s love eating eggs for breakfast, lunch or dinner, identifying what is fake and what is real can sometimes be a dilemma. READ MORE>>>
Last week we told you how Dubai Municipality have plans to roll out an app that will help consumers detect if the goods they are buying are fake or not. While this a great step in weeding out fakes, rest assured that the responsibility of identifying counterfeit products doesn’t rest solely on your shoulders. READ MORE>>>
AKADEMGORODOK, Russia—Dmitri Trubitsyn is a young physicist-entrepreneur with a patriotic reputation, seen in this part of Siberia as an exemplar of the talents, dedication and enterprise that President Vladimir Putin has hailed as vital for Russia’s future economic health. READ MORE>>>
Dubai Customs seized Dh72.6 million worth of counterfeit goods during 133 inspections in the first six months of this year. READ MORE>>>
  • By Idoko Salihu, August 12, 2017, AllAfrica

The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, has said that the government was determined to stop the sale of drugs in open markets in the country at the end of 2018. READ MORE>>>

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is stepping up pressure on China over what the U.S. perceives to be the theft of intellectual property, opening a new front of trade friction. READ MORE>>>

ISLAMABAD – Federal Board of Revenues’ (FBR) Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) wing conducted an operation in which some nine million counterfeit cigarettes were seized from Peshawar. READ MORE>>>

The appeal of the knock-off is lost on me. In fact, I’ve become downright against – why pay for a fake designer item, when you could buy something on the high street for half the price?READ MORE>>>

  • By Joshua Allsopp, August 11, 2017, OPI
A round-up of this week’s office products, business supplies and stationery news from around the web and elsewhere.. READ MORE>>>
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – An 81-year-old Maryland woman was arrested for trying to use counterfeit tickets in an attempt to go on a ride at a boardwalk amusement park at Rehoboth Beach, according to police. READ MORE>>>
  • By Associated Press, August 11, 2017, WGME
 CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire State Police are alerting the public to tablets that look like oxycodone, but contain fentanyl, potentially creating an overdose hazard. READ MORE>>>
The owner and five associates of CoinOpStore, a Santa Clara classic arcade machine company, have been charged with making and selling counterfeit video games that include Galaga, Tank Battalion and at least five iterations of Pac-Man, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. READ MORE>>>
More than a £1 million worth of counterfeit football shirts have been seized by trading standards officers in the week the new Premier League season kicks off. READ MORE>>>
  • By Noah Cohen, August 10, 2017, NJ.com
NEWARK — Police seized more than 200 purses and accused two vendors of selling counterfeit merchandise after separate arrests in downtown Newark, officials said Thursday. READ MORE>>>
  • By Sarah Murphy, August 10, 2017, Exclaim
Turns out the barcodes on the tickets were actually for a Green Day show back in March. READ MORE>>>
A Florida doctor was sentenced to serve nearly 6 years in prison for a variety of charges relating to her use of fraudulent medications to treat cancer patients. READ MORE>>>
BEIJING–(BUSINESS WIRE)–At its Brand Rights Holders Day in Beijing, Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) today unveiled enhancements to its Intellectual Property Protection (IPP) Platform. In the first month since the “express” technology enhancements were made, almost all cases submitted by rights holders were handled and closed within 24 hours, among which more than 80% of the listings were also taken down. READ MORE>>>
…The main restraint is the easy availability of cheap and counterfeit automotive chrome accessories that have flooded the market, sourced from mainly Asian countries. READ MORE>>>
The Uganda National Drug Authority (NDA) has impounded packages of unregistered and counterfeit cancer medicines that are being sold in the Ugandan market.Donna Asiimwe Kusemererwa, the NDA executive secretary, said the impounded counterfeit drugs were smuggled into Uganda from China. READ MORE>>>
A large consignment of counterfeit Urban Decay make-up brushes bound for Derry were seized in Belfast recently. READ MORE>>>
  • By Emmanuel Ainebyoona, August 9, 2017, AllAfrica

The National Drug Authority has issued an alert over two counterfeit cancer drugs being sold on the Ugandan market after impounding some of them from a hawker near the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI). READ MORE>>>

Members of the Finance Ministry’s Financial Crimes Squad (SDOE) seized hundreds of bootleg goods from a private property in Nea Philadelphia, northeastern Athens, according to a statement released on Wednesday. READ MORE>>>

If you were hoping to watch this month’s total solar eclipse, you probably know sunglasses aren’t going to cut it. But if you bought special eye wear to witness the big event, you may want to check them again. READ MORE>>>

If you were hoping to watch this month’s total solar eclipse, you probably know sunglasses aren’t going to cut it. But if you bought special eye wear to witness the big event, you may want to check them again. READ MORE>>>

French luxury goods group Kering and China’s Alibaba Group have concluded an agreement to fights against counterfeit products of such brands as Gucci and Bottega Veneta. READ MORE>>>

The manufacturing and sale of counterfeit beverages is alarmingly high in Punjab, particularly in the provincial capital. READ MORE>>>

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations officers working at the International Falls Port of Entry (POE) recently targeted a rail container destined for the Ranier POE. In early August, CBP officers inspected the container and discovered merchandise that violated multiple laws and regulations. READ MORE>>>

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) enthusiastically declared that it will release a “luxury pavilion” for high-end products within its popular Tmall marketplace”. The launch of the portal, which should occur by the end of the year, is part of Alibaba’s aim to entice more brands to sell on its marketplace. READ MORE>>>

  • By Nuala Gathercole Lam, August 7, 2017, Sixth Tone

The China Association of Plastics and Aesthetics has revealed that it believes 70 percent of the country’s Botox and hyaluronic acid, a type of dermal filler, to be either counterfeit or smuggled into China illegally, Sixth Tone’s sister publication The Paper reported Friday. READ MORE>>>

A bowl of ice cream on a hot day in Shanghai gave American Mitchell Weinberg the worst bout of food poisoning he can recall. It also inspired the then-trade consultant to set up Inscatech — a global network of food spies. READ MORE>>>

Beware of prescription medications bought on the street — that’s the warning from police and the Waterloo Region Integrated Drug Strategy after a flurry of overdose calls Thursday into Friday READ MORE>>>

A Miami man has pleaded guilty to scamming people out of more than $120,000 through a credit and debit card scheme in Erie, Niagara and Orleans counties. READ MORE>>>

French luxury group Kering has decided to drop a case against Chinese Alibaba regarding the sale of counterfeit items. Both companies will now join forces to combat counterfeit sales. READ MORE>>>

A new kind of “short-sheeting”: How to spot counterfeit high-thread-count sheets

There’s a new kind of “short-sheeting,” and instead of a practical joke, this kind is an international crime. In March, the U.S. International Trade Commission found that foreign sheet manufacturers were shorting consumers on thread counts. In response, the ITC issued a general exclusion order banning companies from importing sheets with inflated thread counts. READ MORE>>>

Offaly Garda raid leads to counterfeit haul

Gardaí in Tullamore have conducted a planned raid on an apartment in an investigation into counterfeit goods in the county. READ MORE>>>

P20-M counterfeit bags seized in Baclaran

An estimated P20 million worth of fake North Face bags were seized by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) during raids conducted in Pasay City. READ MORE>>>

Is your wine fake? British drinkers warned that 40 MILLION bottles of French plonk may be counterfeit

Brit drinkers are being warned over claims up to 40 million bottles of French wine may be fake. READ MORE>>>

Gardai seize €25,000 of counterfeit goods outside Aviva Stadium during friendly between Manchester United and Sampdoria

The Gardai seized €25,000 of counterfeit goods outside the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday night, while Manchester United played Sampdoria in a friendly. READ MORE>>>

How Alibaba plans to win over luxury brands

Alibaba, China’s largest e-commerce platform, is improving its services to make luxury brands feel at home on Tmall, its B2C marketplace for retailers. READ MORE>>>

One in every five cigarettes in Malta last year was counterfeit

One in every five cigarettes smoked in Malta last year was counterfeit or contraband, a new study has found. READ MORE>>>

The Danish drugs regulator says it has ordered the withdrawal of a fourth batch of Janssen’s schizophrenia drug Xeplion suspected of being counterfeit. READ MORE>>>

A dentist who repeatedly bought and used counterfeit dental devices has been suspended for three months by the UK General Dental Council (GDC). READ MORE>>>

Sniffer dogs followed their noses and helped find a stash of cigarettes during a raid in Worthing on Monday. READ MORE>>>

CIC: In War on Counterfeit Auto Parts, OEMs Find Strength in Numbers

In May, Vitaliy Fedorchuk of Antelope, Calif., pleaded guilty to five counts of mail fraud for selling counterfeit airbags on eBay and other websites. Fedorchuk, who is scheduled for sentencing in October, faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. READ MORE>>>

Counterfeit Golf Clubs Now a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry

  • By Staff Writer, August 2, 2017, Fox40

Summer is a great time to work on your golf game but if you’re hitting the links for the first time, you’ll need some clubs — but buyer beware. READ MORE>>>

Beware of fake 3310s in PH, warns Nokia phone maker

  • By Staff Writer, August 1, 2017, Rappler

HMD Global issues a statement regarding counterfeit 3310 units circulating in the Philippine market. READ MORE>>>

Fake brand name products seized at Hat Yai markets

HAT YAI – More than 1,400 counterfeit items worth an estimated 9.1 million baht have been seized by customs officials from vendors at two popular downtown markets and nearby warehouses. READ MORE>>>

Barnes & Noble Joins Effort on CounterfeitingChina’s e-commerce firms offering upscale delivery for designer goods

Barnes & Noble Education has joined an alliance of publishers and distributors taking steps to stop the sale of illegally copied textbooks. The company said in a news release that it would be adopting a set of Anti-Counterfeit Best Practices to ensure it only distributes authentic materials. READ MORE>>>

China’s e-commerce firms offering upscale delivery for designer goods

BEIJING • In China, legions of delivery personnel power the world’s largest e-commerce boom. READ MORE>>>