Private firms urged to help prevent entry of fake goods

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has urged private companies to be ready with their intellectual property (IP) records so that the agency can seize counterfeit products even without a formal complaint filed by the IP owners.

BOC Commissioner Napoleon Morales said companies will do well to avail themselves of the government’s IPR record program, under which private firms have copyrights and trademarks for their goods granted by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.

“This serves as a continuing complaint against any and all counterfeit and infringing goods, allowing the BOC to seize such goods without prior formal complaint lodged by the IP owners against the shipments,” Morales said.

The BOC recently seized fake Honda products. The activity was part of the implementation of BOC’s border control program which aims to thwart importation of fake products into the country.

The counterfeit Honda power products, estimated at P24.9 million included gasoline engines, gasoline engines with water pump, generator sets, gasoline marine engines, water pump engines, piston rings, fuel tanks, fan cases, carburetors, and starters.

The products were part of the estimated 1,831 units seized last year, of which 716 were ordered for destruction by the BOC. Morales has warned the public against the dangers of using counterfeit products. 

“The use of counterfeits causes not just loss of revenue but more importantly, this may also pose a great danger on public health and safety,” Morales said.

According to the report of the Bureau’s Intellectual Property Unit, the BOC has conducted a total of 118 seizures of various counterfeit products with a total estimated value of P2.9 trillion from 2005 to November 2008.