Shortly before the end of the year, we would like to thank you for your extraordinary interest. This year we once again presented you with numerous interesting news updates, background stories, and tips – among others, the favourites below received the most interest from you. We hope you enjoy re-reading this year’s highlights.
Investigators become counterfeiters themselves
A new investigation casts light on a sensitive problem: anti-counterfeiting experts who work together with Chinese counterfeiters. Even large companies aren’t safe from this type of fraud, as the tech giant ABB learned.
Negative prize “Plagiarius” awarded
On February 16, the negative “Plagiarius” prize was awarded for the 40th time as part of an international press conference at the “Ambiente” consumer goods exhibition in Frankfurt. The jury chose the most outrageous of this year’s numerous submissions.
Piracy: Consumers show little sense of wrongdoing
According to a recent study by Ernst & Young, almost every second German has purchased a counterfeit before or can imagine doing so in the future. This lacking awareness of wrongdoing on the part of many consumers has devastating effects on German companies.
Amazon tightens terms of service on Marketplace
The US-based online merchant Amazon introduced new fees for selling brand-name products on its online marketplace. The measure aims to prevent unauthorised dealers from selling counterfeits on its sales platform.
Tip from car dealer leads to massive raid
On the basis of a tip from a dealer, Toyota and Chinese authorities were able to uncover a factory for fake automotive components. Two dealers of counterfeits in Australia had already been revealed in the course of the investigations.
Counterfeiters increasingly sell via WhatsApp
In light of tightened anti-piracy measures on many online marketplaces, dealers, particularly in Asia, have begun to expand their sales channels to social media and messaging services. This often makes criminal prosecution nearly impossible.
We’d like to conclude the year with our readers with these impressions. The next issue of our newsletter appears in January 2017. The Anti-Piracy Analyst team wishes you happy holidays and a good start in the new year.
