ID :
20102
Thu, 09/18/2008 - 22:59
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/20102
The shortlink copeid
GERMAN CRACKDOWN ON ASIAN PRODUCT PIRATES AT DUESSELDORF'S SHOE FAIR
By Manik Mehta
DUESSELDORF, Sept 18 (Bernama) -- Francois Dupont, an executive with a French designer shoe company, looked over the shoulder, his eyes closely
following the movements of Asian visitors at his company's booth at the
just-concluded three-day GDS shoe fair here, rated as the world's
biggest.
"You see, I have had bad experiences at trade shows. I have decided not to
display my latest designs and, instead, show these privately to visitors who are
genuine buyers," he said in an interview with Bernama.
Dupont said the Asians had in the past copied his latest designs which he
had been displaying with great pride at trade fairs, not suspecting that many of
them coming to "do business with me were actually only interested in copying my
latest designs".
"I was naïve enough at one time to even allow some Asians to take pictures
of my designs. But that's the past," he said.
An Italian shoe exhibitor said the problem was that over-caution could
sometimes prove fatal for business, particularly if it involved a genuine buyer
who was willing to pay the price for the exclusive shoes.
"We can end up as losers. We have, therefore, to be cautious but also
willing to talk to people who are genuine buyers," he said.
German Customs officials, closely monitoring the activities of many Asians,
cracked down on offenders and seized counterfeit designer shoes at the
GDS.
To deter these culprits the German authorities had said they would
institute criminal proceedings against them.
The organisers of the GDS shoe fair revealed that a "posse of
camera-wielding photo sheriffs" had been taking pictures of counterfeit designer
shoes displayed at the show.
German trade fair organisers, who stage some of the world's finest trade
fairs for a number of industry-specific products, have been facing the scourge
of piracy since decade or so.
Customs officials listed 170 individual cases of counterfeit designer shoes
at the GDS show.
The German authorities have noticed that several of these product pirates
were repeat offenders.
They were fined ?400 (?1=RM4.92) each. They could also expect law suits
from the original design manufacturers for violations of intellectual property
rights.
The German Finance Ministry has estimated that product piracy caused losses
of a whopping ?25 billion euros annually for German companies.
Though many exhibitors were reluctant to disclose the sums invested by
their companies for protecting their brand names, they all agreed that the
investment figure was "very high".
Some of them welcomed the protection given for display
samples.
The fair organisers have also imposed a ban on taking pictures at the fair
while the so-called "sheriffs" are hot on the trail of offenders.
-- BERNAMA
DUESSELDORF, Sept 18 (Bernama) -- Francois Dupont, an executive with a French designer shoe company, looked over the shoulder, his eyes closely
following the movements of Asian visitors at his company's booth at the
just-concluded three-day GDS shoe fair here, rated as the world's
biggest.
"You see, I have had bad experiences at trade shows. I have decided not to
display my latest designs and, instead, show these privately to visitors who are
genuine buyers," he said in an interview with Bernama.
Dupont said the Asians had in the past copied his latest designs which he
had been displaying with great pride at trade fairs, not suspecting that many of
them coming to "do business with me were actually only interested in copying my
latest designs".
"I was naïve enough at one time to even allow some Asians to take pictures
of my designs. But that's the past," he said.
An Italian shoe exhibitor said the problem was that over-caution could
sometimes prove fatal for business, particularly if it involved a genuine buyer
who was willing to pay the price for the exclusive shoes.
"We can end up as losers. We have, therefore, to be cautious but also
willing to talk to people who are genuine buyers," he said.
German Customs officials, closely monitoring the activities of many Asians,
cracked down on offenders and seized counterfeit designer shoes at the
GDS.
To deter these culprits the German authorities had said they would
institute criminal proceedings against them.
The organisers of the GDS shoe fair revealed that a "posse of
camera-wielding photo sheriffs" had been taking pictures of counterfeit designer
shoes displayed at the show.
German trade fair organisers, who stage some of the world's finest trade
fairs for a number of industry-specific products, have been facing the scourge
of piracy since decade or so.
Customs officials listed 170 individual cases of counterfeit designer shoes
at the GDS show.
The German authorities have noticed that several of these product pirates
were repeat offenders.
They were fined ?400 (?1=RM4.92) each. They could also expect law suits
from the original design manufacturers for violations of intellectual property
rights.
The German Finance Ministry has estimated that product piracy caused losses
of a whopping ?25 billion euros annually for German companies.
Though many exhibitors were reluctant to disclose the sums invested by
their companies for protecting their brand names, they all agreed that the
investment figure was "very high".
Some of them welcomed the protection given for display
samples.
The fair organisers have also imposed a ban on taking pictures at the fair
while the so-called "sheriffs" are hot on the trail of offenders.
-- BERNAMA
