Anti-Counterfeiting Programs

How can EPIS, Inc., help the Counterfeiting Problems?

In today’s world Product counterfeiting is big business. The overall costs of product counterfeiting are estimated to be as much as 5 to 7% of total world trade. That’s roughly $500 billion dollars US, each year. From CD’s and DVD’s to high-end handbags, sunglasses and even pharmaceuticals – nothing is immune from counterfeiting.

Counterfeiters will copy and sell anything that turns a profit, without regard to consumer safety and without regard for the law. They manufacture goods as cheaply as possible with the single goal of maximizing their return. The costs of counterfeiting are shared by all of us – consumers, manufacturers, retailers, communities and entire economies.

For instance, drive down to California Venice side walk or New York China Town area or Chicago down town are or any street corner in any major city in the world. Chances are good that you’ll find an individual willing to sell you the latest designer product for a portion of the retail price. Most times it’s clear. After all, we know that the $75.00 Louis Vuitton purse or an Antique pair of jeans for $50.00 are probably counterfeit goods, but in some cases these counterfeit are not easy to identify. Why is counterfeiting so uncontrolled?

When conducting anti-counterfeiting investigations our strategies usually involve the following:

• Identifying the supply chain from the end seller to the source, to gather evidence to expose the manufacturers to legal or other remedies.
• Trap purchases to obtain samples together with offers to supply to use as evidence.
• Use of various front companies to make covert trade approaches.
• Conducting and designing market surveys to highlight specific problems in the market place.
• We have commissioned forensic analysis of products and packaging to assist with investigations.
• Provision of evidence for seizure and destruction orders of infringing products.

Reasons why counterfeiting is uncontrolled includes:

• Many brilliant designers are willing to duplicate the designs and pattern of well-known designers.
• Third world countries continue to provide cheap, unregulated laborers to counterfeit items of substandard quality.
• Consumers like to purchase a product thinking they’re getting the “deal of a lifetime.”
• Some purchasers are aware they’re buying counterfeit merchandise, but continue to do so anyway.
• Counterfeit products are sometimes mixed with the real products in high-end stores and boutiques where their authenticity may not be questioned.
• Some internal sources sell new line of design to gray market in overseas with the patterns and designs to counterfeiters, which are then placed on sub-quality merchandise.

In today’s economy, consumers believe that counterfeiting is a harmless crime. They feel no regret when they pay for counterfeit items. The consumer believes that, it’s just another remarkable deal.

What happens when, someone counterfeits your company’s design and reputation. What if that person harms the product with your name inscribed on the label? It does not matter that the purchaser is later became aware that they used a counterfeit product. Who will take the responsibility, and suffer? You will.

Steps that you should take to protect and stop counterfeiting your firm from its abuses is first to contact Empire Pacific Investigative Services, Inc., where one of our expert agents in counterfeiting will guide you and prepare evidence for judicial forfeiture proceedings, to help your company in its anti counterfeiting efforts. In the past several years, Empire Pacific Investigative Services, Inc. has helped many large corporations and fortunes 500’s in enforcing their rights in both civil and criminal cases, and have earned our reputation as a leader in the field of counterfeit detection investigations.