From January to August this year, the Macau Customs Service received 85 intellectual property right (IPR) infringement reports in total, an 18 percent decrease compared to the same eight-month period last year, and after investigating the reports, 15 cases were referred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), involving toys, garments, footwear, luxury handbags, primarily concerning physical stores, Assistant Commissioner Ip Wa Chio told reporters on the sidelines of a public awareness campaign yesterday.
Ip made the remarks on the sidelines of the 9th “Community Communication Mechanism for Combating Counterfeit Products” activity at the Macau Science Centre (MSC) in Nape.
Regarding student involvement in “parallel trading” cases, Ip said that his bureau was highly concerned about youth involvement in such activities, adding that, while strengthening publicity and education, further efforts would be made through cooperation with the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) and schools to jointly provide proper guidance to students, with the aim of convincing them to stay clear of parallel trading – which is an offence.
Ip underscored that the Customs Service will continue its enhancement of enforcement efforts through measures like on-site patrols and big data, apart from placing special emphasis on publicity and education and extending legal awareness activities to higher education institutions.
Ip also underlined that two public seminars were held with 180 participants in the first half of this year, while 10 seminars were attended by over 2,700 teachers and students from nine local schools.
Ip noted that since the launch of the government’s “Anti-Counterfeit Mechanism” in 2016, it has been expanded to 17 associations’ participation, adding that the mechanism has seen continuous growth in participation while reports of IPR infringement have decreased, leading enforcement actions to be more precise and effective. Ip concluded his remarks by saying that the overall situation is under control and improving.
Macau Customs Service (SA) Assistant Commissioner Ip Wa Chio talks to reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s 9th “Community Communication Mechanism for Combating Counterfeit Products” public awareness activity at the Macau Science Centre (MSC) in Nape. – Photo: Ida Cheong
