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For
the last 25 years, ACG has been campaigning against the trade in
fake goods, on behalf of the major manufacturers.
The globalisation of finance, industry and trade has
inevitably led to all kinds of criminality, including intellectual
property (IP) theft, occurring on a global scale. Therefore it has never
been more important to protect IP rights and achieve effective
enforcement, on a worldwide basis.
Our own awareness campaigns
focus on three main issues:
- Consumer health & safety
The important trust you have in a known manufacturer doesn't apply
to fakes, which are low-calibre goods, with no comeback when they
fall apart. More seriously, over the last five years, there has been
an exponential increase in the number and nature of fake goods on
the market. The public is now at risk from untested, poor quality
fake goods of all kinds, which we all buy every day, including food
and drink, car parts, children's toys and clothing, power tools,
mobile phone and appliance batteries, health, beauty and fashion
products.
see
The
Dangers of Buying Fakes
- Economic impact
There is an enormous cost worldwide in lost revenues, damage to
legitimate businesses and effect on employment. It has been
estimated that profits from counterfeiting annually are equivalent
to the total spend worldwide on tourism. We are currently updating
our information for the UK. To give you some idea, though, four
raids in Wembley Market before Christmas 2005 netted fake goods with
a street value (as fakes) of £1.5million. There are around 1200
permanent markets in the UK, plus many car boot sales and Sunday
markets. If the others only yield the equivalent annually of
Wembley's four weekends, the fake value nationally is £1.8billion,
on which the VAT alone would fund a new school and hospital.
- Links to other serious
organised crime
Intellectual property theft - which steals creative and business
ideas - is now recognised by HM Government as a serious organised
crime. The ringleaders of this illegal trade in fakes launder their
huge profits to fund all kinds of other crimes on a global scale,
including drugs, guns, people-smuggling - and even terrorism. The
Swiss are beginning to crack down on terrorist financing, which is
so often laundered via secret bank accounts, and to identify and
dismantle terrorist networks. Interpol has reported to the US
Government, and to Brussels, that it has evidence of clear links
between counterfeiting and terrorist cells in the Middle East,
Europe and Latin America.
see
also: Publications/Reports
Can You Spot the Fake?
Find out on the BBC website...
Contact ACG:
ACG
PO Box 578
High Wycombe
Bucks HP11 1YD
tel: +44 (0) 1494 449165 : fax: +44 (0) 1494 465052
email: ACG Secretariat
web: www.a-cg.com
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