Blog about counterfeits

IQPC hosting Anti-Piracy & Content Protection Summit in Los Angeles

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:10:00 GMT

There is a very real need for content providers to collaborate effectively across industries and share strategies on how to protect content and intellectual property. That’s why IQPC is holding an Anti-Piracy & Content Protection Summit that focuses on the Film, TV, Music, Software and Gaming industries and is media partnered by No to Fakes.

After the very successful launch event in New York in 2011, this summit moves to Los Angeles this May. It will again bring together key stakeholders from the entertainment and software industries, trade associations, intermediaries, government representatives and solution providers to investigate how to protect content and tackle piracy issues on a national and global scale.

In light of recent legislative efforts to address copyright infringement and online piracy, leading industry experts will be giving expert guidance on how to address online piracy in a meaningful way.

On that note, have a look at this Q&A interview with Maria Pallante, Register of Copyrights and Director of the US Copyright Office on Rogue Websites and Responding to New Threats Including Streaming Technology.

Ms. Pallante testified to congress prior to the passing of the Protect IP Act. In the interview she speaks about her testimony, the type of collaboration and cooperation required to overcome internet piracy, and how the law is responding to new threats like streaming technologies.

We’d love to have you join us June 25 to 27, 2012 in Los Angeles for the2nd Anti-Piracy & Content Protection Summit to gain invaluable knowledge that will help you upgrade your skills and build winning strategies for your company. For more information contact Taryn.Soltysiak@iqpc.com.

Drug counterfeiters tap into our health fears

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:25:00 GMT

Early July, CCN and BBC reported that the number of Internet scammers offering fake Tamiflu surpassed those selling fake Viagra. Interpol estimated that in May 3-4% of all spam emails were on this subject. Roche’s Tamiflu is of course in the limelight because it is one of the key medical weapons against the H1N1 virus known more commonly as Swine Flu. Indeed, fake Tamiflu was also popular in late 2005 because it could be used to help combat Bird Flu, and scammers tend to cash in on consumer fear and market demand (see Customs agents seize counterfeit Tamiflu and also Fake Tamiflu available on the Internet). A quick look at Google Trends shows that interest in the search term Tamiflu peaked autumn 2005 and summer 2009 – so people are piqued by the worry of becoming ill and there not being enough medicines to go round.

The trouble is that buying fake medicines on line is becoming a more common occurrence – just as people buy books, gifts, electronic equipment and supermarket provisions on line, so they naturally start to purchase their medical products too. However, in a quest for discounts and a discreet transaction people inadvertently buy from dubious on-line pharmacies rather than reputable sources with a prescription. Indeed we have talked about this issue on No To Fakes before (click here to read our interviews with Jim Thomson and Trisha Torrey ) but in general the public is ill informed about the problem and not everyone knows to look at websites like this one on recognizing counterfeit Tamiflu before buying or consuming a medicine. And we have also talked in the past with Professor Facundo Fernandez at Georgia Tech about fake malarials – interestingly his team was also involved in developing a test to detect fake Tamiflu quickly, such was the size of the problem even back in 2006 (see Scientists offer faster test to detect fake Tamiflu).

Unless more is done to protect original products and the supply chain through which they are transported and sold, the problem is going to continue to grow and spread. The Internet is here to stay, spammers will continue to bombard unsuspecting members of the public with offers, and if a global pandemic really does occur then panic will fan the flames and cause even more demand for counterfeit drugs. One cause for concern is that some fakes do contain active medicinal material, but not enough to make much difference to the patient. However, fake medicines of this kind can help viruses to develop a resistance to drugs, and then even more lives are at stake.

Bangkok fake

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 07:36:00 GMT

On a recent trip to Bangkok we strolled down the main drag, Sukhumvit, in the evening, which comes to life at nightfall with market stalls and street vendors. It’s hard to navigate your way past the groups of tourists surrounding the wares. The narrow, uneven, pavement is double-lined with stalls and people move eagerly, or stumble, from one side to the other, oblivious of anyone trying to make their way along; you’ve just got to work your way round them because these are people on a mission. Nearly all of the stalls sell counterfeit luxury brands and this is what the tourists are eagerly sorting through. Top of the list at the moment in Bangkok seem to be counterfeit Calvin Klein underwear, Dolce & Gabana belts and accessories, Louis Vuitton bags by the truck load (vendors of these even have professional-looking catalogues – fake of course – which they temptingly waft under the noses of passing tourists), Rolex watches and pirated DVDs and CDs. Sometimes, strategically placed at the very edge of a stall, you’ll also notice a couple of grubby packets of Viagra and Cialis, which can doubtless be bargained into the price of any boxer shorts or bags being purchased.

Sprinkled amongst these stalls are the vendors selling Thai handicrafts, artwork and souvenirs. Strangely these stalls are noticeably bereft of attention. Well, I guess it isn’t really that strange because there are cheap fakes to be had. I have to say that I felt a touch of shame as I watched the way things work on Sukhumvit; the voracious appetite for fake, let’s face it, tat, countered by the empty stalls selling what the tourists used to come to Thailand for; a taste of the country’s exotic culture. Ok, maybe most of the artwork and handicrafts on sale here is mass-produced in factories these days but they still have a lot more that is genuine to them than the counterfeits, and also impart something of what this country is about.

I found it a pitiful picture. And it’s not just on Sukhumvit; the image is repeated all over Bangkok: wherever there is a market, there are heaps of fakes and heaps of tourists buying them, while the other stalls selling genuine products are noticeably left out in the cold. In addition to its other dubious reputation, Bangkok has now also become a hot destination for fake-hunting tourists, who seem to be losing interest in experiencing or retaining anything of what originally made Thailand so exotic and exciting for us from the West.

I also wondered if the counterfeits might not seem so appetizing to the tourist buying the fake Louis Vuitton ‘Speedy’ if they knew that it had been made using child labour, or that the money they paid for that pirated DVD would be laundered before adding to funds for the next terrorist attack…

Charity usually starts at home

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 03:32:00 GMT

An interesting twist to a recent seizure of goods in Norwich UK, was that the items would be donated to orphans and refugees in Africa. This caught my eye because it raises a few ethical questions.

But before jumping to conclusions, I looked back to see if this was indeed common practice. It has certainly happened before – see for example in which items were also donated to the His Church Charity, and these links here, here, here, here, and here.

Firstly, in all these cases, it appeared the donations were being made responsibly in consideration to the original brand owners’ rights (for example, labels and logos were to be removed, goods might be stamped “Humanitariian Aid – Not For Commercial Use’, CD’s were to be erased of copyrighted material, etc). Also, for the recipients’ benefit, items that might pose a health risk were of course also to be destroyed.

Secondly, by doing this, items were in effect being recycled. Rather than needlessly sending perfectly good clothes and shoes to a landfill for example, they would end up in places where they could be used effectively. CDs were crushed and recycled into pencils; no one can deny the benefits that this can have for children in need from any country.

So on balance, this looks like a good solution to the problem. But anyone who has read the Constant Gardener by John Le Carré will know that there is a thin edge to the wedge. In this case it was providing new untested medicines to poor villagers in Africa, in return the recipients were the unknowing guinea pigs for the human testing phase. The argument went that without such tests, ethical or otherwise, the villagers would have had no medicine at all. With the testing, they of course could suffer from unknown side effects.

This may be rather an extreme example to present. But it is a case of double standards. Counterfeits are bad (apart from violating intellectual property rights, they promote child labour, they fund crime, and they evade taxes). They are becoming intolerable for developed society, as well as having a major negative impact on developing societies. Why then should they be acceptable for Africans or other people in need? They should do more good then harm is probably the answer, but is it enough for a clear conscience?

Festive fakes

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:45:00 GMT

Less than a month until Christmas.

So, we could debate the merits of buying a fake or real Christmas tree, but that is already fairly well analysed. We could also debate the use of fake snow on ski-slopes, but so far the snow fall in the Alps at least looks promising this year.

Therefore, as I write with only 28 days of shopping left before Christmas Day, it is worth commenting on the fakes that you or I may come across in the commercial pursuit that is now synonymous with this festive season.

A recent post highlights ten or so of the ‘hottest’ fakes you should avoid if buying online, stating “there is a good chance the item you will buy will be 100% fake or counterfeit”, and to “Avoid embarrassment this Holiday Season, shop at verified sources of name brand goods and accessories.” Good advice.

But, counterfeits can also come in the most unlikely of guises. Take for example Christmas tree lights that can cause fire or have other safety concerns. What starts out as a warning on being careful with candles soon turns in to a warning about counterfeit lights. In fact, at a time when people buy all kinds of electrical equipment, the danger from electrical appliances that are mis-certified is significant.

Last year the City of Westminster in London had to run “operation scrooge” to combat the trade in counterfeits, listing among other things: fake designer clothes, fake cosmetics and perfumes, Christmas tree lights, unsafe children’s toys, counterfeit vodka, unsafe candles, and unsafe electrical goods.

Unsafe children’s toys (termed “stocking killers” by some) are also worrying – there were a number of reports in the run up to Christmas last year and also some more recently, click here and here to read them. As usual, the advice has to be to shop in reputable stores, but with a global recession biting, it is very appealing to save money and seek bargains in markets and from street sellers.

Another big purchase at Christmas is batteries. And yes, these can be fake too. Not only might fake versions have very poor performance, but they can also explode and cause fire. Nokia have had problems with fake phone batteries, click here and here to read the articles, but the problem also extends to the AA batteries you buy for toys and games.

So, as it says on the box “batteries not included”. Not always genuine ones, anyway.

Fakes in places we don't expect

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:47:00 GMT

For those of us who want to avoid buying fakes, the advice that is usually given is to avoid second-hand goods and only go to reputable outlets. But how often do counterfeit products find their way onto the shelves of our local mainstream supermarket or pharmacy for example? The answer is we probably don’t know, but a few recent news stories suggest that it might be more often than we dare to imagine. And not just in developing nations either, but in Europe and America.

Take for example the recent article in The Independent from the UK, and I quote “Packets of fake pills are being smuggled into high-street chemists and sold as real medicines that prevent heart attacks or fight cancer, putting the lives of millions of British patients at risk”. Can it really be true that your local government-regulated pharmacy in a country like the UK is selling fake medicines (and not just aspirins, but life-saving medicines)? In an earlier article in the Daily Mail it was reported that “There have only been nine known occasions that counterfeits have ended up on pharmacy shelves, and in just four of those cases a licensed wholesaler was involved.”. So that’s okay then, just nine known occasions at the time of writing. Nine too many I would have thought. And is the situation any better in the US? Well back in 2003 it was reported in USA Today that fake drugs (and high-priced subscription medicines at that) were being sold in legitimate pharmacies. The more recent US News report indicated the problem was still far from under control four years later, and indeed there is plenty of talk about the problem continuing in 2008 (http://patients.about.com/od/counterfeitdrugs/a/counterfeitdrug.htm, for example).

If we can’t be sure in our local supermarket, what are the chances of us accidentally picking up fake and potentially dangerous products when we are abroad? It seems rather too high for comfort.

One more election faux pas

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 06:25:00 GMT

Sarah Palin is currently being vilified from certain quarters for pictures showing her 7-year-old daughter holding what is apparently a fake Louis Vuitton bag. Bloggers have gone into overdrive (this one included!) and comments have ranged from ‘shouldn’t she be carrying a Hello Kitty bag?’ to outrage at Palin’s lack of awareness. Political loyalty is being thrown in the mixing bowl together with consumer philosophy, and a small sprinkling of schadenfreude. If the bag in question is indeed fake and does indeed belong to little Piper Palin, perhaps her mother should have been more up-to-speed with the counterfeit culture and her own country’s efforts to curb it. On the other hand, she’s a busy woman and doesn’t have time to analyse the minutiae of what her daughter is wearing/carrying – she’s got deeper concerns on her mind right now, like being elected Vice-President! Love them or hate them, counterfeit products are hard to get away from. When they turn up in the hands of celebrities and the matter enters the public domain, it is a wonderful opportunity for us to air our views and, more importantly, better inform ourselves and give further emphasis to important issues such as this. Some may say that this is just distracting us from the important issues of the US election but I believe that there is nothing better than a bit of controversy to get people talking, exchanging ideas and highlighting issues of social and political concern, and the Sarah Palin counterfeit scandal is excellent fodder for this. Moreover, anti-counterfeiting is high on the US legislative agenda, and we will be relying on future politicians to understand the issues and act responsibly on new initiatives.

Cause and effect

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:34:00 GMT

The recently launched Harper’s Bazaar Fakes are Never in Fashion campaign aims to raise awareness about counterfeiting and highlights the darker side of this industry – that it has been linked to drug trafficking, child labour and even terrorism. The facts are all there to be read and absorbed; the 2004 Madrid bombing was partly funded through the sale of counterfeit DVDs and CDs, there are groundbreaking editorial investigations revealing the atrocities related to the counterfeit industry, there are images of young children slaving away in Chinese sweatshops. And the figures speak of the billions of dollars that are lost (in the United States) each year, and the thousands of jobs lost due to intellectual property theft. It is all very shocking and sobering stuff and enough to make even the most hardened counterfeit consumer think twice about buying another fake handbag or sunnies. After all everyone must surely admit it is wrong for our material needs to affect the lives and welfare of others?

However, there is a temptation here to play ‘devil’s advocate’ and to ask is it not ironic that Harper’s Bazaar, itself a veritable bible for the brand-conscious consumer, should be spearheading a campaign of this kind? One could surely argue that the fashion and luxury industry has created the demand and desire for these coveted brands and is consequently itself responsible for the resulting counterfeit industry. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that it is wrong to support the counterfeit industry and it must be tackled head-on through international strategies and governmental cooperation. But maybe, before any of that can be effective, we need to analyse more closely what it is that drives and fuels this industry. Harper’s Bazaar is right to inform us about global events, including the dire consequences of the counterfeit industry but, in order to make a real move for change, should it not also concentrate more on toning down its deification of the branded good?