SPRING 2024 COUNTERFEIT GOODS Its Olympic year but with the excitement and medals comes an increase in crime, with counterfeit goods flooding the market The Paris 2024 Olympics will run from 26 July to 11 August. Exactly 100 years after it was last hosted in the French capital, the Games are being billed as the largest yet and promise to be a spectacular event, not just a sporting fest. There is a huge commercial aspect to the Olympics, with official sponsors and partners offering a range of products and services. Included among these, of course, are sports goods and luxury brand items. As we saw during the London 2012 Games, there will be criminals offering counterfeit goods for sale. The majority of this type of activity is likely to take place in France, but the UK may also be exposed to counterfeit offerings. We are likely to see an increase in counterfeit sports clothing and luxury items during the summer, both online and in the physical space Goods bearing Paris 2024 logos (all registered trademarks in the UK) may be on sale here. They may even be exported into France by wholesale counterfeiters from the UK trying to make a fast profit. Although the Games are being held in France, they will be televised in the UK and, at venues where events are being shown, there will be an opportunity for retailers to sell their wares so-called ambush marketing. If they do so in a way that suggests an official link to the Olympics/Paris 2024, they may be subject to court action and damage claims by the International Olympic Committee, which is extremely protective of its intellectual property rights. Team GB is sponsored by Adidas, and we are likely to see an increase in counterfeit sports clothing and luxury items during the summer, both online and in the physical space. LVMH (Louis Vuitton Mot Hennessy), meanwhile, is an official partner of Paris 2024. Its range of luxury brands spanning wines, spirits, fashion, leather goods, perfumes, cosmetics, watches, and jewellery is not only extensive, but also extensively faked, so it is hard to imagine that counterfeiters will not try to cash in. LVMH is on the front foot in the online marketplace, working with TikTok to try to prevent counterfeits being sold on its platform. Trademarks may consist of words (including personal names), designs, letters, numbers, colours and sounds. They can also include the shape of goods or their packaging. Unauthorised use of registered trademarks may result in breaches of Section 92 of the Trade Marks Act 1994, which is a criminal offence. Unauthorised copying and communication of works to the public may breach copyright laws under Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 Sections 107 (1) and 198. More information on counterfeiting and trademarks is available from the Intellectual Property Office, Anti Counterfeiting Group and Citizens Advice, and you can report rogue traders via the CEnTSA Anonymous Hotline. Credit: Charles Cain, Intellectual Property Crime and Infringement Coordinator, Metropolitan Police Image: iStock / aurielaki Spot the fakes Small businesses are being urged to sign up to a scheme that aims to tackle the problem of counterfeit banknotes. Cash remains the No 1 customer payment method for 25 per cent of small high street businesses, and firms across the UK are still being defrauded by counterfeiters. Those that accept counterfeit notes can be targeted repeatedly. The introduction of polymer notes and law enforcement successes have reduced the number of counterfeits being accepted, but small businesses are still suffering reputational and financial damage because of fake banknotes. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has become a strategic partner in the Bank of Englands Banknote Checking Scheme, which is free for businesses to join. The scheme offers training materials for staff so they can become confident about checking banknotes at the point of sale and know what to do if they get given a counterfeit. It also allows businesses to stay up to date with best practice and banknote developments, and there is a dedicated point of contact at the Bank of England. The FSB hopes members and other small businesses will sign up to become more aware of counterfeit notes. Credit: Karen Woolley, Federation of Small Businesses Development Manager Image: iStock / jamielawton Anonymous Hotline For further information, please contact your local Trading Standards Service For up-to-date news stories and information, follow us on 0300 303 2636 Is your sector being undermined by unscrupulous traders operating outside the law? Report them via Trading Standards Anonymous Hotline or online and help level the playing field for honest businesses.