Counterfeiting a Major Problem in Cameroon

YAOUNDE — The government of Cameroon said international trade in counterfeit and pirated products cost the west African country $2 billion this year. This total does not include domestically produced and consumed counterfeit and pirated products and the significant volume of pirated digital products being distributed via the Internet.  It says the items counterfeiters and pirates produce and distribute are dangerous, posing  health and safety risks. It is business as usual at the Ekounou Market, known for the sale of counterfeit and pirated goods in the heart of Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde. From toothpaste to industrial products, drugs, drinks and textiles, everything looks fake. Yvette Tomo, a middle-aged merchant, tells VOA that it is not only at their market where counterfeited goods are bought and sold in broad daylight.  “In Cameroon, you have an impression that practically everything is fake,” she noted. “If people also counterfeit medicines and baby milk then the situation is very bad.”

 

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