ASGA is at the forefront of the fight to stop counterfeit products from entering the marketplace and to lobby Government to ensure that our laws are stricter.
ASGA runs the Counterfeit Alert Network a mechanism established by the Association to promote awareness about counterfeit products and to allow the general public to report purchases of counterfeit sporting goods and equipment. www.counterfeitalertnetwork.com.au
Members of the public can report a counterfeit purchase on the network and the information is then passed on to the loss prevention department of the brand owner who can track the products origins and pursue the importer or manufacturer for breaches of Registered Trademarks.
Over the comming months of 2011, ASGA will launch a major brand protection initiaive aimed and lobbying Government to change laws around counterfeit to better prevent counterfeit importation and police its manufacture, distribution and sale. Watch this space for information in the coming weeks.
Download ASGA's issues paper on counterfeit reform here
BACKGROUND
There has been a sharp increase in counterfeiting and piracy activity since 1998. Customs seizures globally have increased 1000% in that time. The world governing body for sporting goods, the WFSGI (World Federation for the Sporting Goods Industry) is taking this issue very seriously. In conjunction with the World Customs Organisation and other international bodies the WFSGI are developing projects that are currently being undertaken to minimise the impact of this issue.
ASGA is affiliated with the WFSGI and will provide reports of these projects on both a global and local scale so that industry participants can be better informed of the activity that is taking place to fight this burgeoning problem for the sporting goods industry.
New reports and articles on issues related to counterfeiting and piracy will posted regularly on this page.
