Campaign against the scourge of counterfeiting with Filipe de Albuquerque

Within the framework of the Anti-Counterfeiting Week, the Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office Observatory (EUIPO Observatory) have come together to conduct an awareness campaign against counterfeiting, with the purpose of raising society’s awareness to the devastating effects of counterfeiting in the economy, society, health, safety and the environment.

This campaign features the Portuguese endurance racer, Filipe de Albuquerque.

The 2020 Status Report on Infringements of Industrial Property Rights, produced by EUIPO, noted that 97% of counterfeited products were deemed to present serious risks because they contain chemicals, cause asphyxiation, hearing damage, strangulation, fire hazards and electric shock.

This is especially relevant in relation to the car spare parts and accessories global market. According to the joint study of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and EUIPO “Dangerous Fakes - Trade in counterfeit goods that pose health, safety and environmental risks”, counterfeit safety components were seized, such as brake pads, airbags, wheels, tyres, suspension parts, seat belts, oil and air filters, windscreens, microchips, spark plugs, engines, structural parts, among others.

Now, counterfeiting products present potentially serious risks for consumers, given that they are not manufactured according to the original manufacturers’ specifications, they are not subject to quality control tests and often do not function as intended, which can result in catastrophic failures with potentially fatal consequences.

Therefore, it is urgent to draw everyone’s attention - especially the youngest, who will be the future consumers - to the dangers of counterfeited products and that counterfeiting is a crime.