21 | 12 | 2018

EUIPO and OECD Study on Misuse of Small Parcels (Consignments) for Trade in Counterfeit Goods Published

Photo: Unsplash.com/Leone Venter

The European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights at the EUIPO has published a study on the problem of misuse of small parcels for trade in counterfeit goods. The study was prepared in cooperation with the EUIPO and the OECD and was published under the original title of Misuse of Small Parcels for Trade in Counterfeit Goods.

Data for the purpose of this research cover the period from 2011 to 2013 and although it was dominated by the conveyance of counterfeit goods in container ships during the mentioned period by the value of the seized goods and the number of products, there was an increase in trafficking in counterfeit goods in small packages, which are sent to the ordering parties by post or courier services. This is a significant problem in the enforcement of intellectual property rights and represents major challenges for customs authorities, who must urgently handle import shipments and control imports in order to prevent unlawful trade.

Information provided by senders on small shipments may contain deliberate misrepresentations or fraud, and this is an additional problem for customs authorities.

The study suggests that nearly 63% of seized shipments of counterfeit and pirated goods include small packages, most of which are parcels of 10 items or less.

From Table 3.4 of the study (page 48) it results that in the analysed period 85% of stopped shipments of counterfeit footwear, 77% of fake optical, photographic and medical equipment (mostly sunglasses), and 66% of counterfeit electronic and electrical products etc. involved postal parcels or courier shipments. The study also indicates that the goods being sent in small parcels originates mostly from China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Thailand and Turkey.

The full results of the research are available through the following link, and a summary of the study in Croatian is available on the same link.