Trends in Trade in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods
Illicit trade in fake goods is a major challenge in an innovation-driven global economy. It has a negative impact on the sales and profits of affected firms, as well as broader adverse effects on the economy as well as public health, safety and security. Organised criminal groups are seen as playing an increasingly important role in these activities, using profits from counterfeiting and piracy operations to fund other illegal activities. Counterfeiters operate swiftly in the globalized economy, misusing free trade zones, taking advantage of many legitimate trade facilitation mechanisms and thriving in economies with weak governance standards.
To provide policy makers with solid empirical evidence for taking action against this threat, the OECD and the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) joined forces to carry out a series of analytical studies. The results have been published in a set of reports, starting with the 2016 Trade in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods: Mapping the Economic Impact. The report showed that trade in counterfeit and pirated goods amounted to up to 2.5 % of world trade in 2013; when considering only the imports into the EU, they amounted to up to 5 % of imports.
Trade in counterfeit and pirated goods is a very dynamic and constantly changing phenomenon. Continuous measurement efforts are needed to monitor this risk. This report presents updated figures on the scale, scope and magnitude of trade in counterfeit and pirated goods, based on a statistical analysis of a unique database of half a million seizures of counterfeit goods. Structured interviews with trade and customs experts also contributed to the analysis.
The results are alarming. In 2016, counterfeit and pirated goods amounted to as much as 3.3% of world trade, and up to 6.8% of EU imports from third countries. These figure underscore once again the need for coordinated action against IP crime in general and trade in counterfeits in particular.
We are very pleased that our two institutions joined forces once again to update the results published in the 2016 OECD – EUIPO report Trade in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods: Mapping the Economic Impact and to assess the scope and magnitude of damages to world trade caused by counterfeit and pirated goods.
At the OECD, this study was conducted under the Task Force on Countering Illicit Trade (TF-CIT) of the OECD High Level Risk Forum. The Forum focuses on evidence-based research and advanced analytics to assist policy makers in mapping and understanding the market vulnerabilities exploited and created by illicit trade. The study was shared with other policymaking OECD bodies with relevant expertise in the area of trade and innovation.
Lear MoreRevenue seizes one million smuggled cigarettes at Dublin Port.
More than one million cigarettes have been seized by customs officers at Dublin Port. The seizure was made by officers with the Revenue during routine operations on Thursday, when the smuggled cigarettes were discovered. The unstamped cigarettes were found when a cargo of freight which had arrived into Dublin from Rotterdam in the Netherlands was examined. The seized cigarettes, branded ‘Marlboro’, had a retail value of almost €500,000, and would have represented a potential loss to the Exchequer of €422,000 if they had been smuggled successfully. Investigations into the seizure are ongoing.
https://www.thejournal.ie/smuggled-cigarettes-revenue-4546389-Mar2019/
Lear MoreRevenue seizes one million smuggled cigarettes at Dublin Port.
More than one million cigarettes have been seized by customs officers at Dublin Port. The seizure was made by officers with the Revenue during routine operations on Thursday, when the smuggled cigarettes were discovered.
The unstamped cigarettes were found when a cargo of freight which had arrived into Dublin from Rotterdam in the Netherlands was examined.
The seized cigarettes, branded ‘Marlboro’, had a retail value of almost €500,000, and would have represented a potential loss to the Exchequer of €422,000 if they had been smuggled successfully.
Investigations into the seizure are ongoing.
https://www.thejournal.ie/smuggled-cigarettes-revenue-4546389-Mar2019/
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Destroying illicit goods cost Revenue more than €170,000.
The Revenue Commissioners has spent more than €170,000 shredding illegal cigarettes, destroying fake branded goods and getting rid of illicit alcohol over the past three years.
The costs are part of more than €2.8 million spent managing illegal goods that were seized during operations between 2016 and 2018.
Figures reveal how an average of €875,000 is spent by Revenue each year keeping the State Warehouse running. The warehouse is used to store illegal cigarettes and alcohol, along with other items, with €2.625 million spent on employee salaries, collection and transport of seized goods, security, cleaning and other costs.
Illegal alcohol is disposed of when a sufficient amount is available, usually between 15 and 20,000 litres, according to the Revenue Commissioners.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/destroying-illicit-goods-cost-revenue-more-than-170-000-v9hnmrdfk
Lear MoreTwo Sri Lankan women caught smuggling gold worth over Rs 30 lakh at Pune airport.
Customs officials on Thursday caught two Sri Lankan women, for allegedly Smuggling gold worth around Rs 30 lakh, at the Pune airport.
According to police, the duo arrived from Singapore by Jet airways and walked through the Green channel without declaring anything to the Customs.
After noticing suspicious movement, Customs officials interrogated them and it was found that they were carrying 24-carat gold in the form of chain, bangles and biscuits, weighing 914.25 gm.
The jewellery worth around Rs 30,31,937 has been seized on the suspicion of being smuggled, an official statement read.
Lear MoreTwo Sri Lankan women caught smuggling gold worth over Rs 30 lakh at Pune airport.
Customs officials on Thursday caught two Sri Lankan women, for allegedly smuggling gold worth around Rs 30 lakh, at the Pune airport. According to police, the duo arrived from Singapore by Jet Airways and walked through the Green channel without declaring anything to the Customs. After noticing suspicious movement, Customs officials interrogated them and it was found that they were carrying 24-carat gold in the form of chain, bangles and biscuits, weighing 914.25 gm. The jewellery worth around Rs 30,31,937 has been seized on the suspicion of being smuggled, an official statement read.
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EPA, Customs Seize More than 10,000 Illegal Items at SoCal Ports.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Tuesday enforcement actions involving $530,199 in fines and over 10,000 engines and vehicles imported into the United States. These actions are the result of on-going joint operations between EPA and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to identify foreign-made engines and vehicles that lack proper emission controls, including ATVs, motorcycles, and construction equipment. “Oversight of foreign-made engines imported through southern California ports is a priority,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. “The enforcement cases announced (Tuesday) prevented hundreds of thousands of pounds of harmful air pollutants from being emitted into our air. We will continue to look work with CBP to ensure that items coming into the U.S. meet federal emissions requirements.” Under the joint initiative, EPA found companies imported engines and vehicles without certification or proper emissions controls. Engines operating without adequate controls emit excess carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides, which can cause respiratory illnesses, aggravate asthma, and lead to the formation of ground level ozone. Particular cases involved the following companies:
https://scvnews.com/2019/03/14/epa-customs-seize-more-than-10000-illegal-items-at-socal-ports/
Lear MoreBengaluru: Gold worth Rs 37 lakh smuggled in door locks, underware.
BENGALURU: Gold smugglers often adopt innovative ways to deceive customs sleuths at Kempegowda International Airport. On Tuesday, two attempts to smuggle in 1.1kg of gold worth over lakh — one where the yellow metal was crafted as components of door locks and the other where it was carried in paste form inside a passenger’s underwear — were foiled at KIA.
Sources with the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Bangalore customs said their team carried out profiling of passengers who disembarked from Gulf Air flight GF 282 (Bahrain to Bengaluru) that landed at KIA at 3.55am.
Following suspicion, customs officials intercepted a male passenger who was later identified as a 50-year-old from Uttar Pradesh. He had travelled from Saudi Arabia. After questioning him, the team inspected his check-in luggage to find door locks. On dismantling them, they found six gold biscuits worth Rs 18. 7 lakh. The suspect carried the gold inside the locks, assuming customs officials would clear them as hardware items as some components were painted in golden colour.
Lear MoreBengaluru: Gold worth Rs 37 lakh smuggled in door locks, underware.
BENGALURU: Gold smugglers often adopt innovative ways to deceive customs sleuths at Kempegowda International Airport. On Tuesday, two attempts to smuggle in 1.1kg of gold worth over lakh — one where the yellow metal was crafted as components of door locks and the other where it was carried in paste form inside a passenger’s underwear — were foiled at KIA. Sources with the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Bangalore customs said their team carried out profiling of passengers who disembarked from Gulf Air flight GF 282 (Bahrain to Bengaluru) that landed at KIA at 3.55am. Following suspicion, customs officials intercepted a male passenger who was later identified as a 50-year-old from Uttar Pradesh. He had travelled from Saudi Arabia. After questioning him, the team inspected his check-in luggage to find door locks. On dismantling them, they found six gold biscuits worth Rs 18. 7 lakh. The suspect carried the gold inside the locks, assuming customs officials would clear them as hardware items as some components were painted in golden colour.
Lear MoreIndia: towards greater accountability of intermediaries?
Indian authorities are considering amending the Information Technology Act 2000. Article 79 deals with the exemption of intermediaries from liability, imposing on them an obligation of diligence as to the lawfulness of the contents. In the course of 2018, the government informed the elected officials of its determination to modify the legal framework in the sense of greater accountability of intermediaries.
These rules, called Information Technology Intermediaries Guidelines (Amendment) Rules, 2018, would require intermediaries with more than 5 million users in India to have a registered subsidiary in India. It goes without saying that this provision is intended to facilitate the liability of the intermediary.
The bill also aims to require intermediaries to prohibit their users from publishing content or promoting products that are hazardous to health, specifically targeting tobacco, alcohol, and cosmetics. Furthermore, the platforms themselves would have the obligation to deploy automated tools to proactively identify and delete or disable illegal content.
Finally, among the new provisions envisaged, it is also necessary to note the requirement, formulated by the Indian Government, of greater cooperation in the suppression of the illicit contents and the identification of the authors of such contents.
https://www.iptwins.com/en/2019/02/27/india-towards-greater-accountability-of-intermediaries/
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