It is a record year at all levels for French customs services. The figures published on March 12, 2014 by the administration are significantly increasing as compared to 2012.
Customs have seized 7.6 million counterfeiting products during the year 2013, whereas in 2012 only 4.6 million products were seized, amounting to 65% increase. The podium of the most seized counterfeiting products comprises of medicines (18%), clothes (14%) and “personal accessories” (6%). At the end of the pack, there are informatics-based products like CDs, DVD and software (1%) or computer and electronic equipment (1,3%).
The 2013 report also lists major events of the year for customs services. Hence, in May more than one million counterfeiting packets of aspirin have been seized and in December, e-customs arrested a drug seller using the deep web.
Henceforth, according to the report, France ranks second among the countries implementing protection of Intellectual Property and the country is ranked 12th in the field of logistics and customs.
The French Union of Manufacturers (UniFab) has issued a press release upon the publication of the report by the authorities. It welcomed the results of the customs and thanked the customs services for their faultless involvement in the protection of consumers. UniFab indicated that while it had publicly expressed its concern in 2011, this news restores a burst of enthusiasm in the struggle against counterfeiting.
The custom reports and UniFab finally invoke the development of traffics by Internet channels and call for consumers’ vigilance.
Dreyfus law firm offers customs surveillance and seizures services. Feel free to contact us for any information.