Counterfeit clothes and shoes are in season for consumption

Clothes labeled with world famous brands priced from only 200,000-300,000 VND/set are sold everywhere at Thanh Binh market.

There is still a lot of "living space"

Thanh Binh Market ( Hai Duong City) has many kiosks selling clothes. Here, it is not difficult to see clothes labeled with world famous brands such as Adidas, Nike, Gucci... with a variety of designs and models. The price of these clothes is only from 200,000-300,000 VND/set, much cheaper than the prices published on the websites and fanpages of the above brands. On many "online markets" in Hai Duong, many products labeled with famous brands are also sold for only about 160,000-200,000 VND/set.

According to Mr. Vu Minh Hai, Head of the General Affairs Department (Market Management Department of Hai Duong province), the end of the year is the peak shopping season. There are many discount and promotion programs. Consumer goods such as clothes and shoes are easily counterfeited, counterfeiting famous world brands due to simple production technology, almost only needing to be printed, embroidered directly on the product or molded, embossed (for shoes).

These products still have a place to live because some consumers know that they are fake but still buy them because of the cheap price. Some consumers do not care much about the quality or the consequences of using fake products, but only care about the design and suitable price.

“The easy-going mentality of a segment of consumers has facilitated the production and sale of counterfeit goods. The number of violations of goods related to clothing and footwear usually accounts for about 50% of the total number of violations of goods each year,” Mr. Hai informed.

From 2019 to September 2024, the Market Management Department of Hai Duong province inspected and handled a total of nearly 4,000 cases of goods violations. Through analysis, the authorities found that while in the past, the number of cases of counterfeiting famous fashion and footwear brands was often smuggled goods, in recent years, many cases of clothing and footwear produced by domestic factories and processing facilities in the province have been discovered.

In particular, violations related to e-commerce are fast-moving, complex, difficult to manage, difficult to identify subjects and warehouses. These activities are even carried out across borders and are difficult to trace, especially in the context of increasingly low freight rates, many small-scale establishments participating in e-commerce networks, hundreds of intermediary points with the role of introducing and "closing" orders with customers...

Fight fiercely

Authorities inspect and seize infringing goods. Photo: Vu Hai

In November 2024, Market Management Team No. 2 (Market Management Department of Hai Duong province) destroyed 97 pairs of fake Adidas brand sports shoes owned by a business household owned by Ms. Mac Thi Yen in Dong Lac (Nam Sach).

Previously, on October 22, the team coordinated with Nam Sach District Police to conduct a surprise inspection of this business and discovered the incident. Ms. Yen’s business was fined 16 million VND for administrative violations and forced to destroy all of the violating goods.

On July 10, Market Management Team No. 5 coordinated with Team 3, Department of Investigation Police on Corruption, Economic Crimes, Smuggling, and Environment (Provincial Police) to conduct a surprise inspection of a sandal business in Tien Dong Commune (Tu Ky) owned by Mr. Tran Van Hieu, discovering that this business did not have a business registration certificate and was trading 8,500 pairs of sandals bearing the CROCS trademark without invoices, vouchers, or legal documents. The total value of these goods was 916.5 million VND, showing signs of counterfeiting the CROCS trademark, which is registered for trademark protection in Vietnam.

Mr. Hieu admitted that he imported the sandals to sell for profit. Mr. Hieu has a personal Facebook account named “CROCS Hieu Tran” to post articles introducing and promoting products with images of CROCS branded sandals taken from the internet.

Considering that the case has signs of a crime of "infringement of industrial property rights", Market Management Team No. 5 has transferred the entire case file to the Provincial Police Investigation Agency for further investigation according to the provisions of law.

From November 1, 2024 to March 1, 2025, the Market Management Department of Hai Duong province will carry out a peak campaign against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods.

The peak period against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods in the last months of 2024 will be implemented from November 1, 2024 to March 1, 2025 (illustrative photo)

Compared to last year, this year's anti-counterfeit and anti-smuggling campaign was launched earlier and lasted longer (the 2024 Lunar New Year campaign starts from December 18, 2023 to February 23, 2024). Clothing and footwear are among the key products that are focused on increased inspection and handling.

The Provincial Market Management Department has identified the task of combating violations in e-commerce as a main and regular task in the current period and in the coming time.

Along with inspections of traditional businesses, the authorities have increased control over goods traded online such as e-commerce platforms, sales websites, and social networks such as Facebook and TikTok. Control activities ensure the principle of 4 clear: "clear people, clear work, clear responsibilities, clear deadlines".

The Department closely coordinates with functional forces such as police, customs, tax and other units to regularly review and inspect the circulation stage, especially goods transported from the border, international airports to the inland, business locations; warehouses, wharves, goods gathering points, commercial centers, supermarkets, wholesale markets, production facilities, and craft villages.

Along with the drastic participation of functional forces in the fight against smuggled goods, counterfeit goods, and trade fraud, the cooperation of consumers is needed. Consumers need to resolutely eliminate and say no to goods with fake brands and unknown origins; proactively seek out warning information, instructions, and risk prevention to avoid buying smuggled and counterfeit goods.

The act of manufacturing, importing, trading, transporting, storing for sale counterfeit trademark goods may be subject to a fine of from VND 4 million to VND 250 million according to the provisions of Article 12, Decree No. 99/2013/ND-CP dated August 29, 2013 of the Government (amended and supplemented at Point a, Clause 11, Article 1 of Decree No. 126/2021/ND-CP dated December 30, 2021 of the Government) or be prosecuted for criminal liability according to the provisions of Article 226 of the Penal Code (crime of infringing industrial property rights).

PV

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/quan-ao-giay-dep-gia-vao-mua-tieu-thu-398820.html