Protection of intellectual property rights

You'd better prevent than run after
A trademark manufacturer always wishes to be up to date with his/her products. For the manufacturer it is of existential importance to have the right product in the market at the right time. This also includes to see the customer's needs and to satisfy them. To put it briefly, nowadays it is important for the position on the market to be 'trendy'.

Not everyone can reach this aim. It costs you a lot of energy and, first of all, money and does not always pay off. What very often seems to be a particularly difficult undertaking for the trademark manufacturer, is obviously no problem for the counterfeiter. The plagiarist or counterfeiter seems always to have the necessary intuition for market trends. However, this is not surprising as he does not create own trends. He does what he can do best: imitate. He takes no risks, saves energy and - above all - money.

After the pokemon had first appeared successfully on the market in Japan, armies of small counterfeit pocket monsters flooded the European market. Based on his success, Michael Schumacher did not only increase the marketing of his own merchandise but also made the brand Tommy Hilfiger reputable and therefore attractive for the counterfeiter. You don't have to be clairvoyant to know that the World Cup 2006 will be a suitable objective for the counterfeiter.

For the holder of the right this means to react in time and to protect himself/herself as well as possible. With the procedure of seizure at the border Customs provides an instrument to face infringements on patent rights. However, we recommend not to wait until the product will be trendy and only then to co- operate with Customs. This could already be too late.