Michael Le While we, as consumers, often see fakes as a bane obstructive to our own acquisition of coveted goods, it’s quite different from the perspective of the brands. Some end users, if not most, purchase illegitimate product with intention, one that often leads them down a rabbit hole of what can effectively be considered second-hand stealing. With production of counterfeits ramping up to almost out of control numbers — a whopping 3.3% of global commerce as reported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development — it’s incited Nike and frequent partner 3M to seek methods of stopping it all together. We may be a long, long way from that, however, as even the swoosh’s lawsuit against a compliant customs broker and shipper has progressed at a snails pace. Though, thinking more optimistically, the two are not taking anything lying down as they back a draft legislation that gives the U.S. Customs and Border Protection the right to seize forged items as they enter the country; this extends to design patents in general, i.e. toys, medical equipment, and others. Still in its early stages, it gives way to Beaverton’s intentions and it can only mean good things for most parties involved.
Source: Bloomberg
