Author: adminficci

Alleged Photos of Apple’s iPhone 5S Are Fake

Photos of what are allegedly Apple’siPhone 5Sassembly line were recently leaked. As always, it’s hard to tell if these images are legitimate or not, but9to5Macoriginally suggested that the photos could be showing us a new iPhone 5S with a few tweaked internals. Turns out the images might not only be fake, but they might actually be parts of a knockoff iPhone 5.MacRumorssays that it’s fairly certain the leaked parts are of an iPhone 5 clone, a fake version of the iPhone 5 that’s likely sold as a cheap knockoff, and that it’s most certainly not the iPhone 5S. The site noticed that the battery is smaller than the iPhone 5, there’s a microSD card slot, there’s a connector that doesn’t resemble the new Lightning port and there are “loose red and black wires.”We imagine that the iPhone 5S will resemble the iPhone 5, as the photos above do, but apparently these aren’t the real deal.

http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/02/11/iphone-5s-assembly-line-gallery-photos/

Barring the way of fake drugs

In order to highlight the magnitude of illicit trade activities such as counterfeiting and smuggling, FICCI CASCADE organized a press conference, preceding the seminar, on ‘Illicit Trade – A Threat to our National Interest’ on October 15^th, 2015 in Hyderabad. Mr. Ravi Verma (IPS), Deputy Inspector General of Police, Telangana was the key speaker at the press conference. Mr. Verma stated that the magnitude of counterfeiting and smuggling was significant and was affecting India’s growth trajectory. He said that information sharing between the stakeholders was very important to contain the menace. In this regard, he observed that developing a list of regular offenders across the country and sharing of this data by the police departments across the states would be an effective step.

Fake and Counterfeit Mobile Phones Sold Around the World

A report by the Mobile Manufacturers Forum reported that 125 million substandard and counterfeit mobile phones were sold around the world in 2011. In 2012, the number of counterfeit phones sold increased to 148 million units.  The estimated amount for 2013 was projected to be 1.86 million units. Thus, up to 8 percent of all mobile devices sold worldwide in 2013 were substandard or counterfeits.  Over 20 percent of mobile phones sold in India is estimated to be counterfeits, according to the report. Many of the counterfeit phones sold in the India that were made in China were found to have high levels of lead. This is similar to a study conducted by researchers in Brazil who found that the five counterfeit phones that they tested all had lead and cadmium levels that were higher than EU regulations. In Libya, up to 80 percent of the mobile phones for sale in the country were smuggled into the country and sold on the black market.

http://www.havocscope.com/fake-and-counterfeit-mobile-phones-sold-around-the-world/

AB SKF : Swedish court rules for criminal conviction in SKF counterfeit court case

Trademark infringement results in jail term

A Swedish court has sentenced one person to a one-year jail term and a five-year ban from trade, and awarded damages to SKF, after finding him guilty of violation of Swedish trademark law in relation to the SKF trademark. The court found that he intentionally purchased counterfeit SKF products. The products were thereafter sold with a high profit margin to unknowing customers.The criminal and civil court case was the result of a police raid in March 2010 of stores in Stockholm and Avesta (located in the central parts of Sweden) where the police found thousands of counterfeit SKF products. SKF cooperated with the police in the identification of the counterfeit bearings.Counterfeit SKF products are non-SKF products illegally marked with the SKF trademark and packed in SKF-like packaging. Counterfeit industrial products like bearings can considerably reduce the service life of machinery and in the worst case endanger human lives. SKF is actively cooperating with law enforcement authorities around the world to facilitate legal measures against those involved in the trade of SKF counterfeit products.

Gothenburg, 4 February, 2013

Aktiebolaget SKF (publ)

SKF is a leading global supplier of bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication systems, and services which include technical support, maintenance and reliability services, engineering consulting and training. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has around 15,000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2012 were SEK 64,575 million and the number of employees was 46,775.

http://www.4-traders.com/AB-SKF-6493347/news/AB-SKF-Swedish-court-rules-for-criminal-conviction-in-SKF-counterfeit-court-case-16006988/

Kenya loses Sh70bn in counterfeit trade

Trade in counterfeits has grown into a Sh70 billion annual business, rivalling key foreign exchange earners like tourism, tea and horticulture.The Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA) said Monday the most affected items were medicinal drugs, electronics, CDs and pirated software, alcoholic drinks, mobile phones and farm inputs.“The tragedy of the counterfeiting story is that it is an underworld crime that leads to crime advancement,” ACA Chief Executive Officer Stephen Mallowah said during the launch of phase three of its public awareness campaign dubbed “Fagia Bandia”.

Greater Manchester counterfeit goods conspiracy smashed

Greater Manchester Police have smashed a multi-million pound conspiracy to manufacture, import and sell counterfeit goods in the region.Thousands of pounds worth of fake clothing, shoes and watches with a trade value of around £500,000 was seized in Stretford during Operation Bank.The gang behind the conspiracy were convicted of conspiracy to defraud and sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court last week.Sarwari Dlague, 33, of Ballater Walk, Cheetham Hill was sentenced to three years in prison, while Agha Khan, 27, of the same area, was jailed for 12 months.Taiba Parsa, 26, of Drake Street, Rochdale and Ayesha Sarwary, 30, of Alexandra Road, Manchester were both given community service orders.Mahmood Shah, 44, of Hilton Crescent, Prestwich was jailed for two years and Abdul Jalil, 34, of Duffield Court, Brennan Close to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.The gang were responsible for importing counterfeit goods from places such as China to business premises known as The Late Shop on Greatstone Road, Stretford.Evidence was seized that revealed counterfeit labels for 45 different brands of designer goods were then added to the items. Once they had been branded with the fake designer labels, they were then shipped onto another retail premises – The One Shop on Bury New Road – to be sold on to members of the public.Two other offenders – Qand Agha Sarwary and Sherin Agha Sarwary who are the brothers of Sarwari Dlague – are still outstanding and circulated as wanted.Detective Constable Paul Yates and Detective Constable Sue Barker, who led the investigation, said: “Counterfeiting on this scale requires serious organisation, established distribution channels and money. Judging by the swathes of boxes we seized that were stuffed with fake goods, it is clear this gang had set up a highly profitable criminal venture and were pocketing large sums of cash.“However, their arrogance and mistaken belief they could act with impunity eventually cost them dear.“We seized so much documentation and evidence that revealed both the scale of this criminal network and the undeniable involvement of those convicted. The evidence was so overwhelming that they must have thought they would never be caught. But thanks to our officers their entire network came crashing down around them.“I would like to pay tribute to the hard work and dedication of the officers involved who have helped achieve these excellent convictions, which have far-reaching implications for everyone working and living in Manchester.

“I want to make it clear just how damaging counterfeit goods can be not only to the UK economy but businesses right here in Manchester.“The cost of counterfeit goods for trademark owners, consumers and the UK economy is huge. The Home Office estimates the criminal gain from counterfeiting in the UK alone is worth £1.3bn every year.“While it might seem like a victimless crime and that buying a knock-off watch over the Internet is harmless, you are actually putting legitimate businesses at risk and as a consequence, putting people⿿s jobs on the line. In times of austerity, local businesses here in Manchester thrive on trade and if people are being persuaded to buy fake goods elsewhere, it put those businesses and people’s livelihoods in jeopardy.“That is why the successful conclusion of this case is such a fantastic result for retailers across the city. It sends out a powerful message that anyone involved in the importation and sale of counterfeit goods will be caught and face stringent penalties.“Greater Manchester Police is working very closely with trademark owners, HM Revenue and Customs, Trading Standards, the commercial industry and other enforcement agencies to target these bandits and together we will do everything in our power to disrupt the organised crime groups involved.”
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Value of seized fake goods dropped in 2012

A total of P5.2 billion worth of fake merchandise was seized in 2012, down 37.9 percent from the P8.38 billion worth of counterfeit items seized in 2011, indicating an improvement in the enforcement of intellectual property rights, according to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.IPOPHL director general Ricardo R. Blancaflor said his agency had partnered with the likes of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and even the US Embassy to further clamp down on IP violations.Philippine authorities noted an annual drop in the value of confiscated fake merchandise in 2012 from 2011 due to improved enforcement of intellectual property laws.Blancaflor said among the reasons for the drop were the high value of seizures in 2011, lower value of goods seized, change in command in relevant agencies, as well as less visible or minimized selling of fake goods in areas where IP enforcement is strong.“In terms of the number of pieces of seized items, 2012 has a bigger number than 2011 but in 2011, most of the seized items were Swiss watches, which are higher in value,” Blancaflor said.Among enforcement agencies, the National Bureau of Investigation seized the most counterfeit goods with the value estimated at P2.7 billion, down 48.22 percent from P5.22 billion in 2011.The Optical Media Board was second with P1.16 billion worth of goods seized, down 5.99 percent from P1.23 billion in 2011,  while the Bureau of Customs had P1.1 billion (down 26.67 percent from P1.5 billion) worth of seized fake items.The Philippine National Police chalked up P247 million worth of seizures, down 42.95 percent from P433 million the previous year.The bulk of the seized counterfeit items were luxury items such as handbags, followed by optical media such as digital video discs (CDs and DVDs).

http://business.inquirer.net/105597/value-of-seized-fake-goods-dropped-in-2012

Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Counterfeit Tobacco Products into the U.S

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Lin Xiao Wei, 32, a Chinese national, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence today to importing counterfeit tobacco products into the United States from China, earmarked for Rhode Island. Wei admitted to the court that beginning in February 2012, he arranged for the shipment of a 22-foot cargo container containing counterfeit cigarettes.Wei, who has been detained since his arrest in Miami on June 4, 2012, by the Rhode Island Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Task Force, pleaded guilty in federal court in Providence today to one count of causing the sale of counterfeit tobacco products.Wei’s guilty plea was announced by Peter F. Neronha, United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, and Mark Dragonetti, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI).Appearing before U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., Wei admitted that he arranged for the purchase and shipment from China to the United States of a 20-foot cargo container of counterfeit Marlboro cigarettes. The cargo container, which shipping documentation claimed contained 696 cartons of leather products, was shipped from a port in China on March 27, 2012.Between the time Wei allegedly agreed to ship the fraudulent tobacco products to the U.S., and the arrival of the cargo container through a port in Miami on April 27, 2012, several wire transactions were sent to Wei for the cost of the product and associated shipping fees. Upon arrival in Miami, FDA-OCI and Homeland Security Investigations agents seized the container.According to information presented to the court, on June 3, 2012, Wei met at a Miami hotel with a confidential informant who was working with investigators, and an undercover FDA-OCI Task Force agent from Rhode Island. Wei discussed the shipment of the fraudulent tobacco products, as well as previous shipments of counterfeit pharmaceutical products and the availability of other fraudulent products.Wei is scheduled to be sentenced on April 10, 2013. Causing the sale of counterfeit tobacco products carries a maximum sentence of 3 years in federal prison; a fine of $10,000; and 3 years of supervised release.U.S. Attorney Peter Neronha thanked Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the District of Southern Florida, and his staff, for their assistance in this matter.U.S. Attorney Neronha also commended FDA-OCI Rhode Island Task Force members, Rhode Island State Police, East Providence Police and North Providence Police for their efforts in this multi-jurisdictional investigation.U.S. Attorney Peter Neronha also thanked Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their assistance in this investigation.The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard B. Myrus and Adi Goldstein.

Bulgarian customs officers find fake perfumes worth over EUR 1 million, heroin worth over BGN 1 million

Svilengrad. Bulgarian customs officers at Svilengrad checkpoint have found fake perfumes worth over EUR 1 million and heroin worth over BGN 1 million in a container with empty jars, announced the National Customs Agency.The fake goods and drug were transported on rails from Turkey to Western Europe. According to its papers the container was transporting 22 pallets with empty jars from a company in Turkey to a company in the Netherlands. However, the ultimate unloading point was said to be a town in Germany. The discrepancy made the customs officers suspicious and they checked the container. Pallets with empty jars were hiding pallets covered with empty cardboard boxes to imitate a similar height. The customs officers found 18 pallets with a total of 30,000 packages of perfume and toilet water imitating 30 world famous trademarks, such as Boss, Chanel, Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana, Givenchy, Armani and Calvin Klein. They are estimated at EUR 1 million. This is the biggest amount of fake perfumes the customs officers have seized in the recent years.They also discovered that the cardboard perfume packages in two of the cardboard boxes contained plastic envelopes with a powder-like substance which tested positive for heroin. The drug weighs 8,5 kg in total and is worth over BGN 1 million.An investigating customs inspector is working on the case under the supervision of Haskovo District Prosecutor’s Office.