BELGIUM HONES ITS MEASURES AGAINST BRAND PIRACY
Markenbusiness, Germany
20.09.2006
Trademark News
The Belgian customs were not adversely astonished this May when a
consignment of 600 bottles of Armenian ‘champagne’ fell into their
hands. Champers from Armenia? The name is protected as a designation
of origin and is only allowed to be borne by sparkling wine that is
produced and bottled in the French region of Champagne itself
These East European bottles clearly represent a case of fake
produce. Admittedly the find was only a drop in the ocean, because
since 2004 the Belgian customs have confiscated around 11,400 fakes
purporting to be the select drink from France. In recent years,
altogether 26 million product imitations have been seized, consisting
primarily of cigarettes, drugs and food items. As a logistic hub for
the trade in forged items, Belgium has been occupying third place
in Europe for years. In 2005, in consideration of the number of
counterfeited articles confiscated, the country managed peak position
for the first time.
And so the Belgian Government is expressing a desire to strengthen
its struggle against brand piracy. The Secretary of State responsible
for modernization of finance and for the struggle against tax evasion,
Herve Jamar, has now announced some concrete steps to be taken. Three
main measures will form the main thrust: inspection by the customs is
due to be intensified and the remit of the authorities will be extended
by a new administration of justice to control of both the Belgian
internal borders and the outer boundaries of the EU itself. Also
announced was an extensive educational campaign. In the near future,
companies affected by brand piracy should be gathering round a table
to collectively develop an information campaign, which will enlighten
consumers of the dangers and risks inherent in forgeries. Jamar
noted that product forgery was being increasingly trivialized within
society. The campaign should reverse this trend.