Poundstretcher sued for ‘selling fake bottles of Head & Shoulders’ as big brands launch fight against ‘copycat’ discounters
The brand behind Head & Shoulders is suing Poundstretcher over claims the budget retailer has been selling counterfeit shampoo and conditioner.
Procter & Gamble filed a High Court action against the shop, accusing them of infringing its trademark by selling bogus versions of the haircare products between 2013 and 2014.
The U.S company is also taking action against two wholesalers, Home and Beauty and J&S Brands, over the same allegations.
It is the latest in a string of court actions which leading brands have taken against high street traders and supermarkets in a bid to ward off trademark infringement.
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Illegal smuggling of tobacco products goes on unabated
The Vizianagaram district, which is just adjacent to Odisha and close to Chhattisgarh states, is becoming a hub of illegal business of tobacco products like gutkha and arrack. Lack of proper vigilance by excise, police, and other government agencies have become beneficial for traders of North Andhra region who are tactfully transporting various products through check posts, and also in other ways too.
Vizianagaram has one interstate check-post at Kuneru in Komarada and another at Sunki in Salurmandal. These are the border points to enter the State from Odisha, and the commercial tax, excise and other staff should check every vehicle but the staff stationed here is being manipulated by the traders of Parvathipuram, Vizianagaram, Salur and bringing the products, which are banned in the State.
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U agreements to fight cigarette smuggling
An idea regarding an upcoming European Parliament meeting. MEPs will quiz the Commission on the four agreements currently in force between the EU and Philip Morris International (PMI), Japan Tobacco International (JTI), Imperial Tobacco Limited (ITL) and British American Tobacco (BAT) to fight cigarette smuggling. Members will ask for an assessment, including the possible financial implications, and will question whether these agreements should be prolonged. The agreement with PMI is due to expire in July 2016.
We can attend the Parliament meeting and get all the details. Is it likely that MEPs will extend the agreement? If it is, and if it is not, how will this affect the European tobacco industry?
http://www.internationalnewsservices.com/stories-for-sale/38224-2
Lear MoreThailand Tobacco Monopoly to award authorities for cracking down on illegal cigarettes
The smuggling of cigarettes has reportedly been on the rise, following the excise tax hike.
The news has prompted Thailand Tobacco Monopoly (TTM) to announce its plan to crack down on the illegal cigarette sales. TTM Director DaonoiSuthinipapan said that a total of 10 million baht has been set aside to award government officials, police, and soldiers who have successfully arrested cigarette smugglers.Under the TTM incentive program, A pack of illegal cigarettes is worth three baht in reward money. Authorities can earn 1,000 baht for every 500 packs confiscated. The TTM will also pay an additional 50,000 baht for 25,000 packs found.
Man tried to sell £10,000 of fake goods from his car in A90 lay-by
A man has been fined after he was caught trying to sell almost £10,000 worth of fake designer products – in a north-east lay-by.Terence Crook appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday to be sentenced having previously admitted trying to cash in on the counterfeit goods.
The 54-year-old had taken a wide selection of products – including watches, headphones, speakers and designer T-shirts – home from abroad, and decided to try to sell them on to make a profit.
Lawsuit Accuses Walmart of Defrauding Shoppers with Fake Parmesan
Common sense would dictate the discovery of wood pulp in cheap Parmesan can’t end well for those on the retail side, and lo and behold, it has not: Following the revelation that retailers have started pulling discredited cheeses from stores, Walmart is now facing a class-action lawsuit over the supposedly “100% Grated Parmesan Cheese” sold under its house brand, Great Value. The shopper who filed the suit says he wouldn’t have bought the product if he’d known its actual cheese-to-wood ratio.
http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/02/walmart-cheese-lawsuit.html
Lear MoreThinfilm partners with SmartSign to combat counterfeit products in Vietnam
ThinFilm Electronics has partnered with digital security products provider SmartSign to combat counterfeit products in Vietnam by delivering product authentication and consumer engagement capabilities to brand owners and government agencies.
The firms will use Thinfilm’s NFC OpenSense sensor tag technology to help address counterfeiting of products including wine and spirits, tobacco, and home health products in the Vietnamese markets.
Initially, the partners will focusing on the wine market in the wine/spirits segment by delivering the next-generation anti-counterfeiting NFC solution throughout the country.
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Interpipe registers trademark in UAE to combat counterfeiting
The Ukrainian steel-pipe manufacturer Interpipe has officially registered its trademark with the UAE Ministry of Economy, citing the need to combat counterfeiting in the region.
The company said in a press release that counterfeiting is a significant challenge, and that the registration represents its first step in its fight against fake products.
The GCC region accounts for over 16 percent of Interpipe’s global sales and the company has supplied steel pipes to the UAE market for more than 10 years. Among Interpipe’s key projects in the region are the King Abdulaziz International Airport and the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in KSA, the Mall of Qatar and the State Audit Bureau Headquarters in Qatar, as well as various residential and commercial buildings in the UAE.
Politicole: Welcome To The Land Of Fake Gucci And Armed Robbery
TOURISM Minister Wilchcombe says we will increase airlift, increase marketing, increase advertising, increase stopover visitors, increase US tourist offices, but I’m not hearing him say anything about increasing the tourism product itself by way of diversification of the product, or by improving or helping to improve the country, the people, or the people’s accessible culture – in other words, the tourism product.
What are you selling your tourists, Minister Wilchcombe? Fake Gucci and armed robbery?
A US-Cuba Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on air travel was signed recently and it appears that “all systems are go” with large airlines getting set to offer direct non-stop flights to Havana from cities all across the United States. This is “the day” the Bahamian tourism industry should not have ever dreaded, if only they had mastered their product long before its arrival.
http://www.tribune242.com/news/2016/feb/23/politicole-welcome-land-fake-gucci-and-armed-robbe/
Lear MoreTwo arrested in smuggling conspiracy connected to Oklahoma prison
A drug task force has arrested two people who allegedly intended to smuggle several items, including 27 pounds of tobacco and dozens of cellphones, into an Oklahoma prison.
The District 18 Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force made the arrests during a traffic stop Sunday in Hartshorne. Agents confiscated about 25 pounds of tobacco, 2 pounds of smokeless tobacco, 32 cellphones, 4 pounds of marijuana and several other contraband items, according to a news release.