By Angela Lorraine Celis and Irma Isip
The Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) Port of Subic has apprehended P240 million worth of counterfeit wearables during an operation last month.
The BOC said in a statement over the weekend that the counterfeit goods used brand names such as Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, Adidas, Calvin Klein, Under Armour, Lacoste, GAP, Nike, Zara and Reebok, among others.
In a separate statement, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) added that the logos of mainstream brands such H&M, Uniqlo, Cotton-On, Shein and even homegrown brand Bench were used.
According to the IPOPHL, the fake wearables, shipped in two container vans originating from Dhaka, Bangladesh, were to be sent to a consigned group called Bonne Volonté Consumer Goods.
The BOC said that after receiving an intelligence report on the two 40-foot container shipments, a physical examination and cross-referencing of documentation were conducted.
Customs officers identified the containers carrying merchandise suspected of infringing upon protected intellectual property rights.
The BOC discovered 1,269 boxes of counterfeit products bearing trademarks and copyrighted materials without the required authorization from the rights holders.
The shipments were initially reported to contain T-shirts but were later found to contain assorted brand new apparel with logos and designs of branded goods.
Warrants of seizure and detention were issued against the subject shipments for violation of Section 155 of Republic Act No. 8293 (Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines), in relation to Section 1113 (f) of R.A. No. 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act).
Sec. 155.2 of the IP Code prohibits anyone from reproducing, counterfeiting copying or colorably imitating a registered mark or a dominant feature used on labels, signs, prints, packages, wrappers, receptacles or advertisements intended to be used in commerce or in connection with the sale, offering for sale, distribution or advertising of goods or services.
Meanwhile, Section 1113, Paragraph (f), of the CMTA permits the seizure of illegal goods imported or exported and whose shipment is used as an instrument to violate the law.
“This successful operation is part of the unwavering commitment of the BOC to protect the rights of intellectual property owners and prevent the circulation of counterfeit goods in the market,” the BOC said.
“The brand owners and the Intellectual Property Office Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority are in support of these operations, and the BOC Subic will further strengthen coordination,” it added.
