Fake vehicle parts are on the rise, says new government guidance
|
New government guidance warns of the dangers fake vehicle parts can
have to drivers, passengers and road users. The Intellectual
Property Office (IPO) has issued new guidance as part of a
cross-government and industry campaign. The campaign warns
consumers of the serious dangers of fake car parts. The amount of
fake vehicle parts available on the...Request free trial
New government guidance warns of the dangers fake vehicle parts can have to drivers, passengers and road users. The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has issued new guidance as part of a cross-government and industry campaign. The campaign warns consumers of the serious dangers of fake car parts. The amount of fake vehicle parts available on the market is on the rise. The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) estimated that more than €2 billion is lost every year due to counterfeit tyres and batteries alone. Spotting fakes isn’t easy. Here, on the right Audi shows a genuine coupling rod and on the left, is the fake product. Fake coupling rods can affect the steering capability of the vehicle.
To help combat this problem the IPO joined
forces with the auto industry and trading platforms and
other parts of government. Together they have launched
a campaign to warn consumers about the dangers of fake
vehicle parts. The collaboration has led to the
Intellectual Property Office issuing new
guidance. The guidance gives tips on how to avoid
buying fake parts when shopping online and on the high
street.
The collaboration is the most extensive of its kind to tackle fakes and includes:
PIPCU, which is run by the City of London Police, fights against these types of crimes. In February 2018 Robert Czernik was investigated and sentenced to two counts under Section 92 of the Trade Marks Act for selling fake airbags. He received five months in prison for each count to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months. The Audi Brand Protection Team said: Identifying counterfeits has proven to be a real challenge. The sellers’ websites are becoming more and more professional, appearing legitimate to many buyers at first glance. But there are some clues that give counterfeiters away and should put buyers on alert, such as a comparatively cheap price or a typo appearing on the spare part or in the description. The counterfeiters aren’t choosy when it comes to selecting fakes. According to our investigations, a large number of spare parts are counterfeited in the automotive business. These include service-relevant components, such as oil filters or air filters , crash-relevant components such as bumpers, radiator grille or bodywork, but also safety-relevant parts such as suspension arms, exhaust systems or brake linings. Spare parts produced using inferior materials clearly pose high risks for Audi consumers. We are pleased to be part of this campaign to warn and protect our customers. Dr Ros Lynch, Director of Copyright and Enforcement at the Intellectual Property Office said:
Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Nick Court of the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) said:
Notes to editors
|