BOC-Subic intercepts P240M worth of counterfeit goods

BOC-Subic personnel with the seized counterfeit goods. PHOTO BY BOC

The Bureau of Customs – Port of Subic has apprehended two 40-foot container shipments containing counterfeit goods, which is in violation of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) regulations.

The seized counterfeit goods were labelled as Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, Adidas, Calvin Klein, Under Armour, Lacoste, GAP, Nike, Zara, Reebok, and other brands.

In a press release on Saturday, the BOC-Subic said the operation demonstrates ongoing efforts to combat the infringement of intellectual property and protect the rights of legitimate businesses.

Following the intelligence report received by Port of Subic District Collector Carmelita M. Talusan, she immediately issued consecutive Pre-Lodgment Control Orders. Through a 100 percent physical examination and cross-referencing of documentation, customs officers identified the containers carrying merchandise suspected of infringing upon protected intellectual property rights.

Acting on the report, Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, together with District Collector Talusan and in partnership with other authorities, discovered 1,269 boxes of counterfeit products bearing trademarks and copyrighted materials without the required authorization from the rights holders.

The shipments were initially reported to contain T-shirts but were later found to contain assorted brand new apparel with logos and designs of branded goods, with an estimated value of Php240 million.

The brand owners and the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) in SBMA are in support of these operations, and the BOC Subic will further strengthen coordination.

Warrants of Seizure and Detention were issued against the subject shipments for violation of Section 155 of R.A. No. 8293 (Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines), in relation to Section 1113 (f) of R.A. No. 10863 (CMTA).