June 27, 2022
The information was prepared by Viktorija Kasara, Project Manager-Consultant of the Intellectual Property Information Center of the Patent Office.
On Monday, June 27, under the motto “Assess the risks – choose a genuine surprise”, the Patent Office, together with the State Revenue Service (SRS) Customs Board and the information supporter, the Spice shopping center, launched the “Fake Reality” campaign to encourage the public to think about Agris Batalauskis, Director of the Patent Office, informed about the risks posed by the purchase of counterfeits online.
At the opening event of the “Fake Reality” campaign, representatives of the Patent Office and the SRS Customs Board shared recommendations on how consumers and businesses can protect themselves from infringements of intellectual property rights.
At the same time, the finalists of the youth creative competition “Fake Dimension” were awarded at the opening event of the “Fake Reality” campaign.
Infringements of intellectual property rights, namely counterfeiting of various goods, pose risks to consumer safety and health, as well as negative consequences for businesses and national economies. Therefore, in June, when World Anti-Counterfeiting Day is celebrated, the topic of counterfeiting is especially topical.
According to a study published in 2022 by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the most commonly traded categories of dangerous counterfeits are perfumes and cosmetics, clothing, toys, car parts and medicines.
“Unlike OEMs, counterfeit distributors do not comply with safety or quality requirements, so both counterfeit clothing and perfumes, and in particular medicines, can contain unauthorized substances and pose a significant risk to health and life. even an explosion, but car parts can wear out quickly and fail to perform their functions. That’s why the “Counterfeit Reality” campaign aims to raise awareness of these risks, “explains the director of the Patent Office.
Nule A study presented by EUIPO reveals that almost one in two young people aged 15 to 24 in Latvia has deliberately bought a replica online last year. True, 37% of respondents conclude that they lack knowledge about how to distinguish whether the product offered is counterfeit.
That is why the campaign emphasizes the need to assess risks before buying goods of unknown origin. The Patent Office in cooperation with the SRS Customs Board has prepared a digital educational material, which is available following this website https://youtu.be/txt9xoyzTIk. It contains information on the signs of counterfeiting. This and other practical recommendations are available on the initiative’s website viltotarealitate.lv.
At the same time, an EUIPO youth survey shows that respondents also think about what goods they buy. Evidence suggests that the fear of buying counterfeits is the fear of online fraud and other cyber risks. At the same time, participants in the study say that a better understanding of the negative effects of counterfeiting on the environment and society as a whole motivates them to think about what and where they are buying.
“Infringements of intellectual property rights also cause indirect damage to the economy. Consumers’ choice of cheap imported counterfeits reduces the market share of local entrepreneurs, the turnover of funds and the opportunities to invest in the development of the company and the creation of new jobs,” said Batalauskis.
Iveta Priedīte, a member of the board of the shopping center, also agrees, noting that nowadays honest entrepreneurs play an important role not only in the economy, but also in preserving and improving the environment, which is also one of the priorities of the European Union and Latvia.
“As bona fide business people, it is important for us that the merchants in our shopping center also offer visitors a quality product with a known and verified origin, thus taking care not only of the health of consumers, but also of safety,” emphasized Iveta, a member of the board of the Spice shopping center. Pine.
Priedite also added that practicing fair business also means investing in the economy. Namely, they are official workplaces that take care of their employees by guaranteeing a safe and comfortable working environment, paying their salaries in good faith and taking care of the well-being of their employees. Of course, pursuing such a business also means pursuing a lawful tax policy.
“Spice Shopping Center is currently undergoing change, one of the main goals of which is to improve the sustainability of the shopping center, the environment and the availability of the products and brands it represents, thus contributing to a smart shopping environment. These are just a few examples of honest business concerns. about the consumer, “said Priedite.
Meanwhile, Sandra Kārkliņa-Ādmine, Deputy Director of the SRS Customs Department, emphasizes that just as consumers must be proactive and attentive when shopping online, companies must also protect their intellectual property.
“If an economic operator wishes to protect his intellectual property rights – trademarks, designs, patents, copyrights, etc. the customs authorities at the external border of the European Union are stepping up controls to prevent infringements of the intellectual property rights claimed, “explained Kārkliņa-Ādmine.
The Patent Office also shared suggestions on how businesses can take action to protect their intellectual property.
“Firstly, to protect yourself from misunderstandings, before you start registering your trademark, it is advisable to make sure that someone has not already registered such or a very similar trademark. Secondly, we recommend that you register your industrial property. registration to protect your logo or the design, the appearance of the packaging, but the technology through a patent, “said Batalauskis.
Third, companies must systematically take care of the quality of their product. It must be so good that it is almost impossible to counterfeit the product. Fourth, it is recommended to be open to communication with customers. If customers are provided with comprehensive product descriptions, they will be able to identify counterfeits and report cases if they have purchased a product imitation. Fifth, carefully assess market developments on their own or with the services of professional patent attorneys, and take action against imitators without delay.
More information on how to protect your intellectual property rights and how to protect yourself from counterfeits is available on the campaign website www.viltotarealitate.lv. Counterfeits can also be reported on this website.
Since a large number of counterfeit routes to the consumer are found online, here are some recommendations to look out for:
● Critically evaluate product information on a website, social network, or social networking section.
● Pay attention to the quality of the website – typographical, grammatical errors, image quality, return and money back guarantees, the ability to contact customer service, etc .;
● “replica as good as the original” – the product is and remains a counterfeit;
● Dealers of counterfeit goods tend to rush to buy goods, such as sudden and short-term discounts on luxury goods. If you suspect the product is not genuine, check the product with the original manufacturer, for example, by comparing on the website;
● Medicines, especially prescription drugs, can only be purchased from licensed pharmacies or their online stores.
● Feedback can also be searched on trustpilot.com
Additional information:
Viktorija Kasara, Project Manager-Consultant, Intellectual Property Information Center, Patent Office
E-pasts: [email protected]; tel. +371 67220126
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