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FAKES HIT FOR SIX!
Added: (Fri Feb 06 2004)
Today at Sophia Gardens, the home of Glamorgan County Cricket Club, the Patent Office and Cardiff Trading Standards are hosting the first Roadshow in the 2004 programme of the Anti-Counterfeiting Group. Over 100 representatives of brand owners and law enforcement agencies will meet to tackle the illegal trade in pirated and counterfeit goods.
Examples of illegal, and often dangerous, counterfeit goods will be put on display, and brand owners will explain to officers from the Police, Trading Standards and HM Customs & Excise how to spot pirated or fake goods in warehouses, on market stalls or at the docks. The fake goods range from toys, clothing and footwear to spirits, music, films and spare parts for cars. These fakes often fail basic safety tests.
Cardiff Council First Deputy Leader, Councillor Lynda Thorne said, "Counterfeit toys, computer games, music and clothing are finding their way into all types of retail premises. Sometimes the price is low which gives a sense of value for money. However, this can be a false economy when the toy breaks or the CD or DVD is of poor quality. Over 50,000 items have been seized in Cardiff over the last 18 months which include brands such as Prada, Burberry and Nike."
Ruth Orchard, Director-General of the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, which organises many such events around the UK each year, said, "We are very pleased to be able to work with the Patent Office, Trading Standards, Police and HM Customs & Exicse to bring about more joined up enforcement in the UK. The harm done to the UK economy by this illegal trade is quite staggering. We estimate that during 2003 counterfeiters and pirates cost the UK nearly £10 billion and over 4,000 jobs. Legitimate manufacturers and retailers pay taxes and have other overheads which criminal gangs do not have to pay in bringing their illegal copies to market. The high profits they make are known to fund other serious organised crime, including terrorism."
The National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) estimates that 26% of counterfeiters are also involved in such other serious criminal activities as money laundering and drug dealing.
Miles Rees from the Patent Office, which is co-sponsoring the event with the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, said, "Trading Standards Officers are obliged to enforce a baffling variety of regulations, ranging from food safety and hygiene to weights and measures. Anything we can do to help their understanding of trade mark law will make their job easier in bringing prosecutions. So far we have distributed over 2,000 copies of a CD training package for Trading Standards Officers, as well as lecturing on a Diploma course which many Officers attended. We have also provided a database of relevant criminal cases for Officers to consult when preparing their own cases."
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Notes to Editors:
1. The Anti-Counterfeiting Group Roadshow (full programme below) begins at 10:00 am on 10 February 2004 at Sophia Gardens CF11 9XR; www.glamorgancricket.com
2. The Anti-Counterfeiting Group represents over 200 manufacturers, distributors, licensees and retailers who share intelligence and work with law enforcement agencies including the Police, Trading Standards Officers and HM Customs & Excise to combat the trade in pirated and counterfeit goods. The Anti-Counterfeiting Group raises awareness of the harm done by this illegal trade both to the economy and to consumers, and also provides an extensive range of contacts and advice on legal affairs, consumer affairs and product security (e.g. watermarks, holograms etc). www.a-cg.com
3. The Patent Office is committed to helping with the training of Trading Standards Officers with regard to Intellectual Property (IP) crime, and to facilitating intelligence sharing between Enforcement Agencies (e.g. Police or Customs) and the brand owners. For example, the Patent Office is developing a database of key contacts so that the right named individuals can be contacted speedily to inspect a seized delivery of suspect goods held by Customs Officers. The Patent Office is also helping to develop a training package for brand owners showing 'best practice' in filing evidence and building a case when prosecuting counterfeiters and pirates. www.patent.gov.uk
4. For further details on the work of Cardiff Trading Standards contact Dave Holland, Consumer Protection Manager, tel: 029 2087 2089
d.holland@cardiff.gov.uk
5. Brand owners in attendance on 10 February 2004 include: BBC Worldwide, Tommy Hilfiger, Puma, ELSPA, Microsoft, IFSP, adidas, Sixty UK, Imperial Tobacco, Nike, Warner Bros, Ford Motor Company, Four Marketing, Chemise Lacoste, MCPS, Timberland, Harley-Davidson, Levi Strauss (UK), Henri-Lloyd, Pentland Group, and Nokia.
6. The Programme for 10 February 2004 is as follows:
08.45 am REGISTRATION
09.00 am COFFEE & GROUP VISITS TO ACG MEMBERS' DISPLAYS
10.00 am WELCOME TO CARDIFF - Mike Knight,
Head of Legal, The Patent Office (invited)
10.05 am PATENT OFFICE - Miles Rees, Trade Marks Examination
10.30 am ENTERTAINMENT & LEISURE SOFTWARE PUBLISHERS
ASSOCIATION - John Hillier & Phill Jones, ELSPA
10.50 pm PROCEEDS OF CRIME - Chris Jones, Wales Regional Asset
Recovery Team, Assets Recovery Agency
11.20 am QUESTIONS & COFFEE
ACG BRAND OWNERS:
12.00 noon Timberland UK - Chrissie Morse, Brand Protection Manager
12.10 pm IFSP UK - Philip Scatchard
12.20 pm adidas UK - Mike Roylance, Brand Protection Manager
12.30 pm INTELLIGENCE & INFORMATION SHARING
Tony Williams, Chief Executive Officer, REACT UK
12.50 pm TRADING STANDARDS NORTH WEST PROJECT -
Steve Dundon, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council TSD
1.15 pm QUESTIONS followed by
1.30 pm BUFFET LUNCH & VISITS TO ACG MEMBERS' DISPLAYS
For more information on patents, trade marks, copyright and design registrations, please visit the Patent Office website at www.patent.gov.uk
For more press information, please contact: Deborah Fields / Kristina Crowe at Prowse & Co on 01372 363386 or e-mail deborah.fields@prowse.co.uk or kristina.crowe@prowse.co.uk
Issued by Prowse & Co on behalf of the Patent Office