July 24, 2009
Mere months from the successful conduct of anti-counterfeiting operations within the cities of Pasay and Parañaque, agents from the National Bureau of investigation (NBI) were able to seize anew more than PhP100 million worth of counterfeit Lacoste shirts from the very same neighboring areas.
Led by its Chief, Atty. Romy Bon Huy Lim, the NBI Criminal Intelligence Division – Intelligence Services (CRID-IS) recently confiscated over 35,000 fake Lacoste shirts from stall owners and occupants of storage areas located in the cities of Pasay and Parañaque. The confiscated goods are estimated to have a market value of PhP112 million.
The successful operations are attributed to the continuing aggressive campaign launched by Lacoste S.A. against piracy. This campaign is being implemented by Bengzon Negre Untalan Intellectual Property Attorneys (BNU), Lacoste’s counsel and attorney-in-fact in the Philippines, with the aid of government law enforcement agencies, such as the NBI, and the country’s top IP investigation firms.
The seizures were conducted on the strength of search warrants issued by the 2nd Vice-Executive Judge of the Regional Trial Court of Manila. Lacoste shall file criminal cases against the owners of the stalls and storage facilities for violations of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (R.A. 8293).
Earlier operations conducted in the same areas in April this year yielded a similar number of counterfeit Lacoste products.