Author: adminficci

Company in soup for making fake chocolate

Lasudia policeregistered acase against a chocolate companyfor manufacturingduplicate branded chocolateshere on Wednesday. Local Kemko Company has been booked under the Copyright Act for manufacturing duplicate chocolate. TI of Lasudia police station, Azim Khan said early on Wednesday morning, that they received a complaint from Anil Tiwari, who was representing a multinational chocolate company against a local company for manufacturing duplicate product.Following the complaint, a team of police personnel, along with official of food and drug department, were sent to Dewas Naka. The team raided the local company. “During raid we have seized huge amount of duplicate products of Centre Fresh and other popular brands and huge amount of raw material from the company,” Khan said adding that when team reached the spot, several people were working in the company. Later it was found that company was functioning for the last two years. They had been changing the spellings of the brand names on the wrapper to confuse the customers. The rest of the details on the wrapper were kept intact as the original brand.All the material in the company has been seized and company was seal. Sample of the seized items have been sent to lab for testing. Police said after receiving report from the lab, cases will be registered against company owner.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/Company-in-soup-for-making-fake-chocolate/articleshow/17598965.cms

India seized fake seeds worth $750,000 in 2012

India says it has seized fake seeds worth more than $750,000 this year, making 25 arrests in the process.The figures come weeks after agricultural experts called for the Pakistani government to clamp down on fake seeds and suggest the problem stretches across the region. In India, seizures of fake seeds were concentrated in Andhra Pradesh, the Minister of State for Agriculture said.Responding to questions in parliament, the Minister said 56,700kg of fake or substandard seeds were seized in 2012, leading to 18 dealers having their licenses revoked. The Indian government is now trying to tackle the problem by investing in the seed industry.”Assistance is provided for strengthening and modernising seed infrastructure facilities in public as well as private sector,” Minister Tariq Anwar said. Money is also being spent to create a seed bank that can stop farmers resorting to planting substandard seeds in emergencies.

23-yr-old auto-lifter held for smuggling banned medicines

His record and police dossier identify him as a notorious auto-lifter, but very few, including those in police, knew he was a smuggler of banned drugs and medicines. The Vasant Vihar police have arrested a 23-year-old auto-lifter and his accomplice with 55,000 capsules of banned medicine “Relipen” which is used as a painkiller and hallucinogenic. The seized drugs were meant to be smuggled to Manipur by courier after concealing them in cloth parcels. The arrested drug peddlers have been identified as Imtiyaz Khan Sheikh, a native of Thoubal in Manipur and his aide, Hitler, 26, from Imphal, Manipur. Police said Sheikh was involved in several cases of auto-lifting registered at different police stations in south Delhi. PS Kushwah, additional deputy commissioner of police (south), said the two drug peddlers were arrested following a tip-off about Sheikh’s movement in Munrika village near Vasant Vihar. “A team led by Anil Sharma, SHO of the Vasant Vihar police station, laid a trap near Munirka bus stop after they learnt that a person involved in smuggling of banned medicines from Delhi to Manipur will arrive there. At the instance of the informer, the team apprehended a person who was holding two cartons in his hands. When opened, 100 boxes (each box containing 100 tablets), containing 10,000 tablets of ‘Relipen’ (a Schedule ‘H’ Drug), were found in the cartons,” said Kushwah. During interrogation, a senior police officer said, the arrested person identified himself as Sheikh. When his antecedents were verified, it was found that he is a notorious auto-lifter. “Since the recovery of items was related to drugs and medicines, the drugs control department of Delhi government was alerted. Sheikh was interrogated at length and at his instance, his accomplice Hitler was arrested and 45,000 tablets of ‘Relipen’ were recovered from a house in Munirka village,” said the officer. “The duo revealed that they used to purchase Relipen tablets from different chemist shops in Delhi and NCR for smuggling them to Manipur. Relipen is a sought after drug by addicts,” the officer added.

Police seize counterfeit purses, wallets, sunglasses from Mishawaka shop

Detectives seized hundreds of counterfeit purses, wallets, and sunglasses, during a raid on a gift shop. St. Joseph County Police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security filled an entire U-Haul truck with merchandise they confiscated from the Downtown Gift Shop, along McKinley Ave. just east of Hickory Rd., using a warrant. “We’re talking Coach, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, those sorts of things,” said St. Joseph County Police Capt. Randy Kaps. No one was arrested, Tuesday, in what police called an ongoing investigation. Authorities in Chicago previously received a tip that the shop was selling knock-off items and that’s what prompted the investigation into possible trademark violation, Kaps said. According to Kaps, police are trying to determine who owns the store, and whether he or she was aware that the products, which appear to be from overseas, were counterfeit. Adora Deleu, who has shopped at the store, and who arrived to find the business closed, Tuesday afternoon, said it was obvious the products were not the real thing.

Ministry punishes firms over use of counterfeit software

About 40 private establishments and retail outlets have been sanctioned for using or selling counterfeit software, said an official source at the Ministry of Culture and Information. Fines reached SR 100,000 in some cases and some companies were closed temporarily until they rectify their situation. “The total number of cases adds up to about 150 so far,” sources told a local newspaper. The lawyers of software companies filed the cases, saying the companies breached the copyright regulation that was implemented to protect intellectual property and computer programs. Working on curbing the trafficking of counterfeit software, the ministry designated specialized officials to carry out field inspections at business establishments, warehouses and games retail outlets. These inspectors have the jurisdiction to seize evidence. According to a Business Software Alliance (BSA) study, the rate of software pirating in the Middle East and Africa reached 50 percent in 2011. The commercial value of unlicensed programs amounted to about $ 4.2 million (SR 15.75 million). The rate of pirating software in emerging markets reached about 68 percent. Emerging markets have the largest portion of the global increase in the commercial value of counterfeit program, the report showed. Another source said there is a consensus among private and government parties on pursuing those who illegally copy software, films and other copyright protected materials, as this causes large losses for the economy. Specialists at the software industry say punishments against those involved in copying and selling counterfeit programs must be severe and include imprisonment and naming and shaming. Trading in copied copyrighted intellectual property is a crime for which perpetrators are pursued in almost all countries to curb the phenomenon’s spread in global markets. A representative of BSA and lawyer of the plaintiff companies Muhammad Al-Dhabaan said the copying of original software products is increasing through a number of websites. The relevant authorities and BSA officials who monitor the local market detected these sites. Al-Dhabaan said about 100 violations had been detected. When the BSA team finds a company using counterfeit software, they are requested to use original software. If a company would not comply, they would be reported to authorities.

http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/ministry-punishes-firms-over-use-counterfeit-software

Dangerous fake drink on sale in the county

DRINKERS are being warned that “extremely dangerous” bogus booze could be on sale across the county. It comes as an off-licence owner was fined a record amount in Oxfordshire for selling counterfeit alcohol. Oxfordshire County Council’sTrading StandardsTeam has seized 227 bottles of fake wine and eight bottles of vodka since June last year. And last night it warned they could be contaminated with chemicals. About £2,000 worth of counterfeit alcohol was seized from Ansh Food and Wine in Chinnor in April. The haul included 147 bottles of fake Blossom Hill wine, 28 bottles of counterfeit Jacob’s Creek wine, and one bottle of fake vodka.Store owner Paramjit Singh Khiali was fined £9,250 and £1,941 costs at Oxford Magistrates’ Court last week after he admitted eight charges under the food safety and trade mark laws. He admitted buying alcohol on three occasions without doing proper checks. The 47-year-old was caught after a customer alerted Trading Standards after buying some fake wine. Mr Khiali told the Oxford Mail that he did not know the alcohol was counterfeit and he was sorry for his mistake. Shop assistant Kultar Singh said the fine would hurt the business. He said: “It was a mistake. We did not realise. I know if I sell bad stuff we will lose customers.” Trading Standards can now call for the shop’s licence to be reviewed. Its head Richard Webb said fake booze was becoming more widespread. “It’s a problem across the whole country, but we are starting to see more cases of counterfeit alcohol being distributed across Oxfordshire.” Of Mr Khaili’s fine, he added: “We are pleased with the result, and it shows that the court takes matters of counterfeit alcohol very seriously. “The high fine reflects the importance of being able to trace the supply chain for products so that any unsafe goods can be quickly removed from the market.“Businesses should only buy their stock from legitimate source; otherwise there are potential serious consequences for any retailer.”Trading Standards is now analysing the seized bottles to determine if they contained any dangerous chemicals.Judith Heathcoat, council cabinet member for safer and stronger communities, said: “Counterfeit alcohol can be extremely dangerous as it is usually mixed with chemicals that aren’t fit for consumption.”Three bottles of illegal vodka were seized from the 7 to 9 store in Oxford Road, Cowley, in October last year and the shop was given a warning.Trading Standards said it was not known where the alcohol was coming from, but said some cold callers turn up at off-licences claiming their businesses have closed and they are selling stock.Abingdon GP Dr Prit Buttar said counterfeit booze could be contaminated with a range of dangerous chemicals.He said: “Methanol can blind permanently. Some of the other contaminants can cause irreparable damage and if it was somebody with a history of heavy alcohol consumption then that would make the toxic effect greater.”

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/10096579.Dangerous_fake_drink_on_sale_in_the_county/?ref=rss

Counterfeiters target online shoppers

The world of cyberspace is rife with risk for online shoppers who are increasingly targeted by counterfeit goods manufacturers, North American delegates to an annual GTA police and trade conference were told Wednesday. And while many consumers know of fake $10 Rolex watches and $40 Gucci handbags, bogus medicines and computer software that can strip personal information and plant viruses have become a serious global problem, speakers said. James Dickmeyer, the U.S. Consul-general in Toronto, said the underworld is increasingly involved.“These are criminal organizations that don’t recognize borders,” he said.Dickmeyer said under an agreement Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama signed early in 2011, American and Canadian personnel on patrol ships are working together to seize counterfeit goods being shipped between the countries. Mutual co-operation “is a growing trend that is necessary,” he said.Matthew Stentz, the Homeland Securities Investigations attaché at the U.S. embassy in Ottawa, added “the most alarming trend in recent years is the use of the Internet.”Pharmaceuticals and a wide range of fake products are offered, although stores and flea markets still stock them, he said. Crooks also produce fake, often substandard auto and aircraft parts, electronic goods that catch fire due to faulty wiring, airbags, and pharmaceuticals, Stentz said .A wide range of spurious goods including team jerseys laced with urine, phony Viagra, Angry Bird toys stuffed with human and dog hair and skin-damaging razors were put on display at the conference put on by Toronto lawyer Lorne Lipkus .Representatives from enforcement agencies, including Toronto Police, the FBI and the RCMP attended the event which was held at a Toronto hotel. Some of the bogus goods came from a recent $4-million seizure by Toronto Police and RCMP officers, Lipkus said. Unlike U.S. Customs officials, who have the right to investigate, seize and stop counterfeit goods shipments, he said Canadian Border Service Agency officers lack legislated authority and must “call the RCMP.”RCMP Insp. Todd Gilmore said his 30 local specialist officers, now focusing increasingly on cross-border and mail shipments, seized counterfeit goods worth $78.6 million under Project O-Scorpion since last years. The Mounties charged 19 importers, including several repeat offenders. Gilmore’s display included fake TTC badges and a pea-shooting pellet Glock-style pistol so realistic that one “was used in a bank robbery.”

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/12/05/counterfeiters-target-online-shoppers

Nokia campaigns against fake phones

Mobile phone manufacturer, Nokia would embark on an intensive campaign in the first quarter of 2013 to raise public awareness on the dangers of using fake mobile phones.James Rutherfoord, Vice President of Nokia West Africa, who stated this, noted that the influx of fake phones onto the Ghanaian market is a major source of concern not only for Nokia but other phone manufacturers.“As such in the first quarter of 2013, Nokia would embark on educational campaigns and engage officials from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and train them on how to identify fake devices.”He added that the company would also implement the care line, which would allow consumers to determine the serial numbers of their genuine phones.Mr. Rutherfoord stated this in an interview withCITY & BUSINESS GUIDEduring the first anniversary of the launch of Nokia Asha in Lagos, Nigeria.

Warning to parents as counterfeit toys flood the market

Parents have been warned to be wary of purchasing counterfeit Christmas toys that could be harmful to children.The seasonal message to put safety first was issued last night as Customs officers disclosed they had seized almost 2,000 toys that had not been subjected to any regulations.Officers made a total of 18 seizures, comprising 1,903 items with a retail value of about €37,410 over the past year.The major risks from playing with unsafe toys involve choking and reactions to chemicals, such as lead.Officers said the production of counterfeit goods was generally not subject to regulation.One added: “At best, fake or counterfeit goods do not deliver the expected and promised results of genuine products while, at worst, they can carry health and safety risks.”One-third of this haul has been recovered since the start of September as unscrupulous dealers prepare to flood theChristmasmarket.One of the seizures earlier in the year contained 384 sets of counterfeit Barbie Doll clothing, while other items included cars, Thomas the Tank Engines and Winnie the Pooh figures.

Haul

Also recovered were 643 school bags bearing trademarks such asHello Kittyand Batman.In the past few weeks, officers have also seized a haul of 700 fake Angry Bird chairs.The seizures so far this year represent a massive increase on all of 2011 when officers found 430 counterfeit items, with a retail value of €11,000.The National Consumer Agency (NCA) urged shoppers to make sure they observed age-suitability warnings.It told consumers to check for the CE mark when buying toys as this meant they met European safety standards.AnEU-wide survey showed that the top 10 infant or child products resulting in injuries were: a swing or slide; a toy; changing table; tricycle; baby pram or buggy; high chair or booster seat; a cot, crib or baby bed; a baby walker; marbles or beads; and a tree house or playhouse. An EU database indicated that about 180,000 children require emergency medical treatment each year for injuries linked to these products. Consumers who encounter a toy that seems unsafe or does not have a CE mark should contact the retailer who sold it, and make a report to the NCA.