Category Archives: Blogs

 According to António Campinos, President of the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM):

“We are completing a picture of the economic impact of counterfeiting in a dozen economic sectors across the EU. Today´s report shows us the extent to which the toys and games sector is impacted by the presence of counterfeits in the market. Through this reporting, we aim to help policymakers in their work, by providing data and evidence-based studies, and to help consumers make more informed choices.”

IPR Infringement of Toys and Games (1) (1)

The report Campinos is referring to is “The Economic Cost of IPR Infringement in Toys and Games,” released in December, 2015 by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), shortly before the OHIM changed its name to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in March, 2016. For the EU as a whole, the estimated total counterfeiting of games and toys amounts to 12.3% of revenue or about 1.4 billion euros and an estimated 6,150 lost jobs across the EU.

Hardest hit is the city of Berlin, the largest toy manufacturer in the EU, which produces about 40% of total European production. Berlin loses nearly 11% of revenues a year and has lost an estimated 1,500 jobs because of counterfeits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuRhYmMb-lg

The largest auto recall in history is currently underway and hampered in part by counterfeits. The recall, which will involve 34 million cars and 11 different automakers, is to replace airbags made by Takata, a major supplier of airbags located in Japan. The airbag’s inflator, a metal cartridge loaded with propellant wafers, is faulty and may explode and send metal shards that can injure or even kill the car occupants. (See Youtube video above and website below.)

The recall, however, is hampered in Australia by the discovery of fake Takata airbags. The genuine airbag costs the equivalent of $300 and the fakes go for about $50. The counterfeit part does not have gold plated connectors, the crimping of the cable is not strong enough and it does not use copper wire. The recall in Australia is expected to be over a million and comes less than a year after the Australian government ordered a recall of counterfeit Toyota brake pads that were sold online to unsuspecting customers. The fakes brake pads were discovered in Toyota’s popular HiLux utility vehicle and HiAce van as well as commuter buses.

http://www.airbagrecall.com/home/

Hilarious products from China and countries that don’t care about trademarks. Funny battle between counterfeiters and patent holders.

I thought this was a joke, a conglomeration of counterfeits using misspellings of well known marks, like Nike spelled NKie; Sony spelled Fony; Adidas spelled Abibas.

Misspelling a well known brand is a dodge used by counterfeiters to get their fakes past customs. However, the ruse only draws attention. Nonetheless, this collection of misspellings is funny . . .

https://www.facebook.com/MadeInChinaCOPY/photos

https://www.instagram.com/made_in_china_fp/?hl=hrk

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/authorities-crack-alleged-counterfeit-laundry-detergent-40064291

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Check out this ABC News report, which aired last week. Fake laundry detergent is nothing new. U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Seattle seized over 52,000 packages of fake Proctor and Gamble detergent in 2010. The fake soap came from China and had a retail value estimated at $150,000.

PirateCon 2016

This weekend I’m traveling to Boston to be a guest speaker at PirateCon 2016. My topic will be The Dark Web. The keynote speaker will be Aaron James, Massachusetts Pirate Party candidate for 27th Middlesex State Representative.

PirateCon is a yearly event held by the Massachusetts Pirate Party. I attended last year to do research for my book How Peer To Peer (P2P) File Sharing Is Shaping the Internet.

The Pirate Party was founded 10 years ago in Sweden and in a short time has become an international social and political movement. Sixty countries have a Pirate Party. The Pirate Party is the leading political party in Iceland. Eight states in the United States have a Pirate Party with the largest in Massachusetts.

http://collision.honda.com/airbagaware/breaking-bad-the-real-story-of-counterfeit-airbags#.V1lbVdQrJkg

The United State States auto industry loses approximately $3 billion a year to counterfeit parts. One of the most dangerous counterfeits is counterfeit airbags. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a consumer safety advisory to alert vehicle owners and repair professionals to the dangers of counterfeit air bags in 2012. The problem emerged as the result of the sale of counterfeit air bags for use as replacement parts in vehicles that had been involved in a crash. While these air bags looked nearly identical to certified, original equipment parts—including bearing the insignia and branding of major automakers — NHTSA testing showed consistent malfunctioning ranging from non-deployment of the air bag to the expulsion of metal shrapnel during deployment.

Concerned consumers should contact the car manufacturer’s call center. The full list of call centers and additional information are available at www.SaferCar.gov.

The British Electro-technical and Allied Manufacturers Association (BEAMA), a trade association for the British electro-technical industry founded in 1905, has prepared a video, “Counterfeit Kills,” that is part of its Counterfeit-kills anti-counterfeiting public awareness campaign.

http://www.counterfeit-kills.co.uk/uk/index.php

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLj7JkvwJrs

Counterfeit electrical products include fuses, cables and circuit breakers, household equipment, professional work tools, as well as the spare parts used in the automotive and aviation fields. According to a global study commissioned by the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce), 80% of consumers in the developed and developing world unknowingly purchase counterfeit electrical products.

The fakes are often sub-standard and rarely comply with performance and safety specifications. Counterfeiters don’t have their products tested and verified by an approved third-party Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL)–such as: Underwriter Laboratories with its certification logo: (UL) and FM Approvals with its certification logo: (FM). In June, 2010, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized nearly two thousand desk lamps that were marked with Counterfeit UL logos.

In addition to the YouTube video, check out this brochure from the International Electrotechnical Commission, based in Switzerland

(1)IEC_Counterfeiting_brochure_LR (1)

While I was in London, I met up with a friend and poet, Dee Alimi. I met Dee, who was born in London, when he visited the United States and was a guest on the cable TV show: “Toastmasters in the Community.” I was a guest speaker on the same show. He autographed a copy of his anthology of poems, Sleeping with the Secret Burden, and was kind enough to meet with me and show me the London sites. We walked over London Bridge and enjoyed fish & chips and made a day of it. Dee is at work on his third novel. Interestingly, he has an MBA in business but his love of the arts is his passon.

I just returned from London where I attended the Global Brand Protection Innovation Programme, held May 26th and May 27th. I was invited to be a Chairman Speaker/Delegate. I gave an opening talk, introduced the panel talks, and gave a slide presentation at the close of the conference. I met many wonderful people representing a host of companies in the packaging and pharmaceutical industries. There were nearly 200 attendees, most of whom were from the European Union.