OECD/EUIPO report
Philippe Behring has reviewed the recently published EUIPO and the OECD report on the trade in counterfeit pharmaceutical products.
The report is the result of the compilation and analysis of international customs seizures and other enforcement data, together with interviews with experts in industry, trade and customs. It aims to quantify the value, scope and trends in the trade in counterfeit pharmaceutical products.
Philippe provides a summary of the report's findings regarding in particular industry statistics, trade mark and patent trends, Customs seizures and enforcement actions and the negative consequences of counterfeit medicines. "Having presented the figures, the report encourages reflection on policies that could be implemented to strengthen the fight against counterfeit pharmaceutical products," he writes.
The article can be read in full on the Class 46 blog.
Action in Ecuador
The second article, by Maria Cecilia Romoleroux, discusses a recent action in Ecuador that led to six people involved in the counterfeiting of pharmaceuticals being handed prison sentences. This represents the largest group of people sentenced for being part of a distribution network of counterfeit medicines in Ecuador.
She says the decision sets a precedent for future cases: "The importance of this ruling lies not only in the number of people sentenced, but also in the way in which the proceeding was handled, in particular by turning it into an 'illicit association' case in the face of the procedural inconveniences of investigating and prosecuting the matter regarding the sale of counterfeit pharmaceuticals."
Read the article on the Class 46 blog.
Find out more about the ACPT Team on their dedicated page.
Issue 112
MARQUES is launching new educational and networking initiatives to support members in the current crisis, including webinars and a weekly Virtual Coffee Break email. The next webinar is on Brand Protection in a Time of Turmoil and is on 14 May
Members of the MARQUES Anti-Counterfeiting and Parallel Trade Team have published two articles on the issue of counterfeit pharmaceuticals
WIPO is hosting a number of webinars that may be of interest to MARQUES members. Plus: Director General Francis Gurry has presented his annual report
On 29 April, Willem Leppink, who heads the MARQUES Anti-Fraud Task Force, and Alessandra Romeo, MARQUES External Relations Officer, joined the 5th Anti-Scam Network Meeting, led by EUIPO. MARQUES was also represented at the EUIPO User Group Meeting held on the same day
The CJEU has published rulings in the Coty v Amazon, Gomboc Kutato and Gugler France cases
The call for entries for the DesignEuropa Awards 2020 has been extended to 8 May
The MARQUES blogs include articles on recent developments in trade mark and design law, including updates from China, Turkey and Ecuador