The issue of counterfeiting has long been a serious threat to businesses all over the globe, costing the U.S. economy nearly $200 billion per year. We’ve all seen fake designer purses, watches, and sunglasses, but these are not the only items counterfeiters try to imitate. The release of popular feature films, cartoons, and games brings with it a plethora of new opportunities for counterfeiters.  Counterfeiters flock to B2B trade boards to sell illicit merchandise, compromising sales of legitimately licensed products. Following are some key suspicious indicators for merchandise of popular children’s characters:

• Multiple Licensees: When a seller offers merchandise from multiple licensees, it’s always suspicious. In this listing, in which the seller is offering SpongeBob SquarePants merchandise, they also list the following: Disneyy merchandise and party goods, such as Sesame Street,winnie the pooh,High School Musical,ben 10,Princess,Mickey mouse,Superman,bratz,Spiderr-man,Cars,Hannahh montana,Barbie Doll,SNOOPY,Dora, and so on We also can specially tail


• Poor Packaging: Always take a close look at the packaging in the photos of a listing. This listing for an iPhone case featuring SpongeBob SquarePants features the merchandise in plastic with no authentication or naming. However, keep in mind that even if the packaging appears suspect, it can be deceptive. Sellers often take photos of one authentic item and then do a bait and switch. For example, this listing of a Hulk doll could potentially fall into this category as it features other suspicious indicators—the seller has only been a member since May 2012 and there is no customer feedback.


• Seller Will Only Communicate Online: Deliberately keeping communication between the seller and the buyer at an arm’s length is another suspicious indicator. This listing for Hulk figurines emphasizes the following: We are professional mamanufacturer and we also have trade company to do hair extensions bussiness.,. we will quote you a best price., please chat online.We are professional mamanufacturer and we also have trade company to do hair extensions bussiness.,. we will quote you a best price., please chat online.


• Keep An Eye on New Members: New members that join a trade board are always suspect. The seller in this listing for Transformers masks has only been a member since April 2012.


• Suspicious Payment Forms: Pay attention to payment methods on every site. This listing for a Dora the Explorer costume only accepts the following: paypal, western uinon, money gram,T/T

Deep discounts being offered on B2B trade boards are also a red flag. Authorized retailers do not usually sell at discounted prices, so a “wholesale” price can generally mean you aren’t getting the real thing. And, as always, keep in mind that if a product is out there, it is probably being counterfeited.

It's World Anti-Counterfeiting Day: Do you know where your drugs come from?.

What lesson did we learn this week, class? Don't rip off Burberry.

Burberry was awarded $100 million in damages this week as Manhattan Federal court laid down the law on an extensive counterfeiting network. According toWomen's Wear Daily, a slew of Chinese websites using the Burberry name and selling fake Burberry goods (yes, people are still buying fake bags... )have been found guilty of trademark infringement.

For the complete story, please visit Huffington Post.

OpSec Security discovers overpriced tickets for the 2012 European football championship as well as counterfeit fan merchandise on the internet and provides tips for consumers on what to look for when buying

Munich, 2 May 2012. In just over one month, on 8 June, the 2012 European football championship kicks off in Poland and Ukraine – an event which is also used by dubious traders for some lucrative business at the fans’ cost. In their current online analysis, the trade mark protection experts at OpSec Security have found countless dodgy auctions in which overpriced tickets for the matches and fake branded shirts are on offer.

Whether it is concerts of popular bands or well-known international sporting events such as the footballing European championships, events of this type are much loved not only by consumers but also by shady traders who try and make some easy money through over inflated prices on the black market for tickets which are in high demand but short supply or through cheaply produced copies of fan merchandise. Now, in the run-up to Euro 2012, suspect offers of overpriced tickets and counterfeit fan items such as branded shirts are also turning up on the Internet. This has been shown in a current online analysis by the company, OpSec Security.

Black market ticket sales – beware of overpriced offers

The sale of Euro 2012 tickets is strictly regulated by UEFA: the purchase of the personalised tickets is only possible via the official ticket shop. Already purchased tickets may only be resold for the face value plus an administration fee but not sold at an extortionate price or auctioned. However, in spite of these rules, tickets can be found on auction sites such as eBay at prices far in excess of the official rates. At the time the random sample was examined by OpSec, there were 166 illegal offers on ebay.de, 176 on ebay.com and 53 on ebay.co.uk. In most of these cases, the tickets were offered at considerably inflated prices, in some cases at almost five times the official price. The experts at OpSec assume that the prices will rise still further in the course of the coming weeks. Particularly striking are offers where traders point out that there are no identification checks in the stadiums. However, buyers should not rely on such information. A particular contradiction and thus a clear indication that an offer is illegal, is where a trader refers in the small print to UEFA’s terms and conditions whilst simultaneously violating them through his inflated prices.

“Not only the fact that the prices are overly high should make customers wary; there is also the risk that they might end up buying fake tickets on public platforms such as eBay. Furthermore, there is a real risk that the customer will never receive the tickets he or she has bought and paid for.” commented Mechthild Imkamp, Marketing Director of OpSec Security. “Anyone wishing to get hold of a ticket for one of the matches through official and therefore legal channels, should enquire in the UEFA ticket shop which reopened at the beginning of May.”

Fake fan merchandise – how to spot illegal copies

Trade in fan items booms especially before major international sporting events. The increased demand, for instance for replica shirts of the participating teams, is also exploited by many manufacturers and sellers of fakes, chasing part of this lucrative business. Such activity was also seen around the football world cup in South Africa in 2010. Due to the trade in counterfeit fan merchandise, the number of seizures by the German border authorities rose considerably in 2010.

An increase in illegal business is also to be expected around the approaching European football championship. This can already be witnessed on the internet. Obtained in large quantities on B2B platforms such as alibaba.com, the fakes are then resold on B2C portals such as eBay. A clear indication of fraudulent activity is where companies on B2B trading sites such as alibaba.com offer every shirt in any quantity depending on the customer’s preferences. OpSec encountered numerous such offers, originating primarily from Asian companies, in the scope of its analysis. Fake shirts are usually not only of an inferior quality but also carry hidden risks to health as they may contain hazardous substances which, for examples, can trigger allergies.

In order to protect consumers from buying fake replica shirts, OpSec has compiled the following list of tips based on the suspect offers it unearthed during its research:

1. Conspicuously low prices

If the price of a new shirt is considerably lower than that offered by the official manufacturer, there is a high possibility the shirt is a fake – even if the offer otherwise looks impressive. It is therefore advisable to first find out the usual price.

1. Inconsistent product characteristics

If accompanying images show product characteristics which differ from those of the original – for instance colour differs or logos are missing – one can be reasonably certain that the product is a fake.

1. The article on offer is not yet officially available

One should be sceptical and cautious if sellers offer products which are not even available yet in the manufacturer’s own official shop. If the price is also very low, one can safely assume the seller is dodgy.

1. Seller has traded counterfeit goods in the past

Audacious traders on auction platforms who receive too many negative ratings simply create a new identity for themselves under which they continue to sell the same products. If one encounters a seller who has traded fake goods in the past, it is best to avoid buying from them.

“If someone wants to be on the safe side, they should buy a shirt for the European football championship from the official online shop of the manufacturer or from an authorised dealer,” advises Mechthild Imkamp.

About OpSec Security:

OpSec Security GmbH, based in Munich, Germany is part of OpSec Security, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of OpSec Security Group plc (London AIM: OSG). OpSec is the global leader in providing anti-counterfeiting technologies as well as solutions and services for offline and online brand protection to over 300 companies in various industries and over 50 governments worldwide. The OpSec Group operates manufacturing and research facilities in the USA, Great Britain and has sales operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.opsecsecurity.de



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Nothing says springtime in America quite like the start of baseball season. Fans everywhere rush to purchase hot dogs, beer, and, of course, their favorite players’ jersey.  We’ve all seen plenty of shirts being sold online and by street vendors for a fraction of the official store’s price.  If you feel tempted to purchase, you may want to think again. Most of these “too-good-to-be-true” prices you see are just that –and unsuspecting fans may end up with a fake. Don’t strike out this season; follow these tips to ensure you’re buying the real thing.

• All officially licensed baseball jerseys have what is called a “jock tag” sewn on the front of the jersey, generally at the bottom left-hand corner. A jersey being sold without this tag is a telltale sign of a fake.


• If the seller describes the item as “factory sealed,” you can guarantee it isn’t real. Authentic Majestic baseball jerseys are never shipped factory sealed.


• Be cautious when gauging an item’s quality online. If a seller is using low-resolution photos or photographs the item from far away, it may mean they do not want you seeing it up close. If they use “stock” photos or pull pictures from an official MLB store, chances are they don’t even have the listed item on hand.


• Only the following manufacturers are licensed to produce jerseys:

-"Majestic Athletic" is the exclusive "On Field" uniform manufacturer for MLB baseball.

-"Mitchell & Ness" is the official manufacturer of Throwback baseball jerseys.

• And, as always, spelling mistakes are a dead giveaway. If you see a player’s name spelled incorrectly, that jersey is 100% fake.

Learn about OpSec’s Brand Protection solutions, and join our Get Real! Facebook page to stay up-to-date on the latest in anti-counterfeiting and piracy news.

Most consumers know to ignore emails alerting them to foreign lottery winnings and to steer clear of "designer" bags sold on street corners. But experts say even scam-savvy shoppers may be falling prey to fraud at a surprising place: the grocery store.

Food fraud -- the adulteration, dilution or mislabeling of goods stocked on the shelf -- is part of a growing trend of faux household goods . Although there is little data on the frequency of food fakery, experts say there's growing awareness of the problem. The lack of information on the subject recently prompted the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention -- a nonprofit that sets standards used by the FDA -- to establish a Food Fraud Database.

For the complete story, please visit SmartMoney.

LOS ANGELES — A Lakewood, Calif., man is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court Monday morning following his arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents for importing more than 1,000 counterfeit Microsoft Office CD-ROMs and selling them to unsuspecting customers over the Internet.

Collier Bennett Harper, 30, was taken into custody late Friday. He is charged in a four-count federal indictment following the seizure of two shipments of Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2007 software CD-ROMs.

For more on this story, please visit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

The topic of counterfeiting isn't new to Americans. Anyone who has visited a major city has likely been accosted by a few offers to buy a handbag or watch. The items—sold by unscrupulous-looking individuals at outrageously low prices—were labeled as luxury brands but were obvious fakes.

It’s likely that the majority of the public lives in ignorance or apathy toward the counterfeit trade, relegating the problem to a few products, sold by a few vendors and purchased by a few consumers who are well aware of what they are buying. What some might be surprised to know, however, is that the counterfeit trade extends well beyond street vendors and can yield more severe consequences than a cheaply constructed bag.

For the complete story, please visit Beauty Store Business.

UK Raids Seize More Than 300,000 Doses of Fake Drugs

3/20

Police across Europe have seized almost 300,000 doses of counterfeit anti-impotence and weight-loss medicines, highlighting the prevalence of fake drugs in the region.

Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Tuesday that four people had been arrested in Spain and two in Britain following an international operation lasting several months.

The suspects appeared to have been importing the bogus medicines from Asia - mainly China and Singapore - and distributing them via the Internet to customers throughout Europe, officials said.

For the complete story, please see the Baltimore Sun.

Fake Toyota Parts Exposed

3/20

As part of efforts to curb the influx of counterfeit Toyota spare parts in Ghana, Toyota Ghana has launched the 2012 Anti-Counterfeit Educational Campaign dubbed, “One Little Mistake, Big Trouble in Accra.

It will hold seminars to create awareness about fake spare parts, among other activities.

For the complete story, please visit GhanaWeb.

25,000 Counterfeit Purses Seized in Seattle

3/19

Border officials say they have seized more than 25,000 counterfeit purses that arrived in an ocean container from China.

More than 8,500 of the purses were knockoff Gucci, Fendi, Burberry and Coach bags, officials with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office said Monday. The bags were seized in Seattle March 13.

For the complete story, please visit HeraldNet.

Ebay and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) are teaming up once again to introduce a new collection of original totes to raise awareness against counterfeit goods and celebrate original design.

After a sold-out summer collection, more than 75 designers are participating in the 2012 "You Can't Fake Fashion" campaign, each customizing a one-of-a-kind tote.

There will be four basic totes available on March 20th via eBay for $45, while the customized totes will have a Buy-It-Now price of $200.

For the complete story, please see the Global Grind.