It is an operation on an unprecedented scale. Between December 2020 and September 2022, European customs seized or blocked almost 16.7 million counterfeits, mainly toys, sold in markets.
Initiated and coordinated by French Customs, this operation brought together Europol, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic for two years. It has made it possible to intercept counterfeits “from most of the franchises that are particularly popular with children, adolescents and young adults,” Bercy explains in a press release.
“The intercepted counterfeits copied the brands associated with their favorite heroes, whether they were cartoons, manga, video games or movies,” adds the Ministry of Economy, which evokes “600 references”, including “collectible cards, figurines, jewelry, tattoos, kits, balloons, birthday kits, albums…”
Fakes from China
Of the 16.7 million items seized, 5.5 million were seized by French customs officials and 11.2 million by the other participating countries. The vast majority came from China “and were put up for sale by Chinese suppliers, for the most part without legal existence,” says Bercy.
In total, “more than fifteen intellectual property rights holders of these franchises are victims of this traffic, suffering financial and image damage from these illegal and often poor quality copies.”
In the first half of 2022, French customs removed a total of 8.2 million counterfeit items from the market. A figure 53% higher than that of 2021.
Source: BFM TV
