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Customs intercepts fake Rugby World Cup 2011 t-shirts
03 Feb '10
2 min read
The New Zealand Customs Service has intercepted a large consignment of counterfeit Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011) t-shirts, only a few months after RWC 2011 marked two years until the big event.
More than 1,000 trademark-infringing RWC 2011 t-shirts were detained by Customs in December. Customs Group Manager Investigations and Response, Bill Perry said the counterfeit clothing is being sold on to unsuspecting consumers through discount shops, markets, and the internet.
“They are purchasing what they believe is the real thing when in fact they are buying an inferior product.
“The only way people can guarantee they are buying genuine Rugby World Cup 2011 clothing is to buy from official licensees.”
General Manager RWC, Ross Young, said that exploitation by counterfeiters threatens the future global development of rugby.
“The sport relies on the revenue stream generated by the sale of official merchandise and the greed of these counterfeiters significantly undermines this.
“We have a comprehensive rights protection programme in place to protect the RWC 2011 brand and the rights granted to our commercial partners. It is good to see it working effectively with the discovery and detention of these goods.”
Customs is one of the lead enforcement agencies tasked with protecting the official RWC 2011 brand. All official licensed products have unique identifiers so Customs can tell the difference between the genuine and fake products.
Tips for spotting fake RWC 2011 merchandise:
- The genuine t-shirts retail for approximately $40. Be suspicious of 'bargain' RWC t-shirts for $10 — they are likely to be fake. If something seems too cheap to be true, it probably isn't genuine.
- Examine the quality
- genuine RWC clothing will have Canterbury or Sportfolio labelling
- check labels and packaging for misspellings, or mis-printings
- check the quality of the sewing — are the seams straight? Are the edges of the fabric sewn neatly?
- It is unlikely that genuine RWC merchandise will be sold at street markets, car boot sales, or 'discount' type shops.
- Be wary of buying merchandise from trader sites on the internet — ask for proof that the items are genuine.
More than 1,000 trademark-infringing RWC 2011 t-shirts were detained by Customs in December. Customs Group Manager Investigations and Response, Bill Perry said the counterfeit clothing is being sold on to unsuspecting consumers through discount shops, markets, and the internet.
“They are purchasing what they believe is the real thing when in fact they are buying an inferior product.
“The only way people can guarantee they are buying genuine Rugby World Cup 2011 clothing is to buy from official licensees.”
General Manager RWC, Ross Young, said that exploitation by counterfeiters threatens the future global development of rugby.
“The sport relies on the revenue stream generated by the sale of official merchandise and the greed of these counterfeiters significantly undermines this.
“We have a comprehensive rights protection programme in place to protect the RWC 2011 brand and the rights granted to our commercial partners. It is good to see it working effectively with the discovery and detention of these goods.”
Customs is one of the lead enforcement agencies tasked with protecting the official RWC 2011 brand. All official licensed products have unique identifiers so Customs can tell the difference between the genuine and fake products.
Tips for spotting fake RWC 2011 merchandise:
- The genuine t-shirts retail for approximately $40. Be suspicious of 'bargain' RWC t-shirts for $10 — they are likely to be fake. If something seems too cheap to be true, it probably isn't genuine.
- Examine the quality
- genuine RWC clothing will have Canterbury or Sportfolio labelling
- check labels and packaging for misspellings, or mis-printings
- check the quality of the sewing — are the seams straight? Are the edges of the fabric sewn neatly?
- It is unlikely that genuine RWC merchandise will be sold at street markets, car boot sales, or 'discount' type shops.
- Be wary of buying merchandise from trader sites on the internet — ask for proof that the items are genuine.
New Zealand Customs Service
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