Stop Piracy
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Swiss Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Platform
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Involvement

Why are various government agencies and members from private business involved in STOP PIRACY? Why support the fight against counterfeiting and piracy?

 


ABB – Asea Brown Boveri Ltd

Fake surge protectors and security devices present a great risk. When the surge protectors can't cut electricity for whatever reason quickly and reliably, human life and buildings are at risk. ABB believes it is their obligation to protect the market from fake surge protectors of poor quality as much as possible. They are fighting on all fronts --production, distribution, and sales--against counterfeiting and piracy.

eBay

eBay has succeeded in creating a unique online selling platform. The goal is to provide a global online selling platform from which any kind of goods possible can be sold. This creates new avenues for selling throughout the whole world.

However, the success of this very dynamic and stable selling environment depends on the trust of our members. The sale of counterfeited articles on eBay leads to negative buyer experiences and destroys trust in sellers.

In view of our objective, we support the protection of intellectual property rights such as copyrights and trademark rights and provide our members with a secure environment where selling and buying is enjoyable.

To this end, eBay developed the VeRI-Program (program for verifying intellectual property rights) where rights holders can notify us of articles which infringe on their rights. Owners of intellectual property rights (individuals and businesses) are welcome to participate in the VeRI-Program.

Trade in counterfeited articles is a society-wide problem and we are convinced that only close collaboration among rights owners, federal agents, and businesses such as eBay can successfully counteract it. We welcome and support the public-private partnership STOP PIRACY.

IGE – Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property

The Institute is the governmental agency for all matters of patents, trademarks, designs, and copyrights and, as such, takes an active role in fighting against counterfeiting and piracy. By creating the best possible legal framework, it makes it possible for industry to fight the problem and consumers to be better protected.

The Institute’s activities, however, aren't limited only to the legislative level: In the conviction that, in the end, only a coordinated approach on the part of all sectors (public as well as private) impacted by counterfeiting and piracy can stop it in an effective and sustainable way, the Institute combined forces with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Switzerland and created STOP PIRACY, the Swiss Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Platform. It particularly aims to coordinate the activities of business and governmental agencies in Switzerland and to increase public awareness of the economic and health risks and the consequences involved in counterfeited products.

FH – Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry

The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) is the umbrella organization for the Swiss watch industry. It has been active in the fight against counterfeiting for decades. The watch industry has been beset by “fakes” for many years. In the meantime, counterfeiting and piracy has expanded to other industry sectors and achieved a frightening mass.

The following measures are part of the aims of the association to counteract counterfeiting:

  • Extensive technical analyses of fake goods with the aim of determining the producers of the individual parts, of discovering any connections with a point of sale, and of uncovering counterfeiting networks.
  • Organization of targeted, global actions against counterfeiting rings with the help of the responsible authorities.
  • Sensitizing authorities and the public of the negative economic and social effects of the counterfeiting phenomenon.
  • Training involved governmental agencies for counteracting counterfeiting (customs officials, above all).
  • Monitoring the use of Swiss geographical indications of source such as “Swiss” or “Geneva.”
  • Taking action against websites and online platforms offering fake watches.

STOP PIRACY offers business and the involved governmental agencies the possibility to combine forces and speak in a unified voice. This will created a Swiss-wide network which can dedicate itself to the issue of counterfeiting and piracy. The Swiss watch industry has set itself the goal of being a propelling force in this partnership.

ICC Switzerland – Swiss National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce

ICC Switzerland is the Swiss committee of the International Chamber of Commerce. As a voice of global private business, the ICC’s purpose is to support free trade and ease international investment. Counterfeiting and pirated copies undermine the incentive system behind intellectual property and, with that, inhibit the willingness to invest in a long-term way. To counteract this effect, the ICC operated the “Counterfeiting Intelligence Bureau“ as part of the ICC Commercial Crime Service. ICC also launched the BASCAP - Business Action Against Counterfeiting and Piracy—initiative. BASCAP aims to sensitize governmental agencies and the public to the problem of product piracy and to inform business of the possibilities for counteracting it. As the contact point in Switzerland, the ICC Switzerland is involved at the national level in the fight against counterfeiting and pirated copies and, in collaboration with the Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, established the Swiss Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Platform.

Isler & Pedrazzini – Patent and trademark attorneys

As part of a legal office including patent and trademark attorneys, we are active in an international arena. Many of our domestic and international clients are impacted by counterfeiting and piracy. Firstly, awareness of the fact that counterfeiting and piracy isn’t just a peccadillo but a serious social offence needs to be raised in Switzerland. Secondly, local and individual information and experience about counterfeiting and piracy from businesses and associations needs to be combined, coordinated, and shared. STOP PIRACY is the ideal platform for contributing.

Promarca – Swiss brand-name product association

The valuable asset that trademarks represent are for many businesses a significant portion of their entire assets. It’s obvious that trademark and product piracy leads to a serious encroachment effected everywhere.

For trademark owners, the spread of counterfeited trademark goods leads to a drop in sales and profit. When fake copies appear on the market almost simultaneously with the original goods, the appropriate time window for amortization of development costs and initial investment can be lost.

A clear, well-defined business policy with clear guidelines and the support and motivation from the responsible authorities needed for the protective measures are the foundation of every protective rights system. Market monitoring for punctually introducing effective protective measures are essential. Counterfeiting and product and service piracy don’t just impact businesses, economics, and consumers, it also affects public security: Organized crime accounts for broad areas of trademark and product piracy.

Preventative awareness campaigns for consumers and security measures for trademarks and other intellectual property rights are indespensible. That’s why the Swiss brand-name products association, Promarca, supports the project STOP PIRACY, both ideally and financially.

SUISA – Cooperative Society of Music Authors and Publishers

SUISA is the collecting society for the authors of non-theatrical musical works. Its task is to grant the authorizations needed by those who use music (phonogram producers, internet providers, radio/TV, concert organizers, etc.), to collect the royalties as intended by the law or applicable contracts, and to remunerate the rights holders on this basis. One of its tasks is to fight against music piracy, whether over the internet or through the distribution of actual products. In this role it frequently initiates legal proceedings. SUISA participates in the STOP PIRACY platform because it believes that it is an important means of information among the interests involved (private and public). In addition, the platform permits coordinated activities around the converging interests of the various intellectual property rights holders.

Swiss Cigarette

Swiss Cigarette is a non-profit organization. It’s objective is to promote common interests among its members and, to represent these interests to government as well as to public and private stakeholders at the dederal level. Trade in fake cigarettes has quickly become an international problem: It is illegal, it harms the legitimate industry and trade, causes large losses to the state in the form of lost taxes revenues, and misleads consumers. While this is a very serious problem in the countries neighboring Switzerland, Switzerland itself is not yet affected by the illicit tade in counterfeited cigarettes. However, it is a situtation which has to be prevented in Switzerland. The industry association for the Swiss cigarette industry, Swiss Cigarette, in collaboration with STOP PIRACY, supports measures to prevent the emergence of this problem in Switzerland. Smokers who are misled to buy fake cigarettes do not get the product that they expected: Legitimate manufacturers meet strict quality standards which are in part exactly defined and controlled by legislators. Counterfeiters, in contrast, do not care what they put in fake cigarettes and especially do not pay attention to manufacturing hygiene. Counterfeiters very often are connected to organized crime; the profits from their illegal businesses are often used to contribute to the financing of criminal deeds. In countries in which the problem of fake cigarettes is evident, the legitimate industry suffers and the legal trade loses sales. Many jobs are threatened by this.
The EU Commission estimates that counterfeiting of consumer goods leads to a yearly loss of 100,000 jobs in Europe. Our goal is to work together with other involved stakeholders and the Swiss government to fight against piracy and counterfeiting of consumer goods. STOP PIRACY unites strong partners in a common effort as an initiative of private business and the public sector. More information on Swiss Cigarette

Swissmedic & Interpharma

Medicines are subject to very strict quality controls, both in manufacturing and in prescribing. When medicines are fake, quality can no longer be guaranteed in any way. The risk of endangering health by taking fake medicines is therefore high. In Switzerland there is, up to now, no known cases of counterfeiting in the official distribution channels such as pharmacies, drugstores or doctors' offices. But anyone who orders medicines through unmonitored channels such as the internet takes the risk of receiving fake products. In addition, the private import of medicines is prohibited. By participating in STOP PIRACY, we support the goals and activities of the platform. Our particular objective is to inform the public that the consumption of fake medicines is a risk for every individual.

A public-private Initiative, IPI AND ICC SWITZERLAND