Value of counterfeits in Turkey soars past $10bn
The value of counterfeit items being produced in Turkey has exceeded $10 billion, a report has claimed.
According to the Daily Sabah news website, the Brand Protection Group (BPG) based in Turkey has expressed its concern over the figures and said they should serve as a warning for other nations.
Ali Ercan Özgür, spokesman for the BPG referenced a study into Turkey by global group Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP).
The study, called Promoting and Protecting Intellectual Property in Turkey,found that the volume of counterfeit items had now exceeded $10.8 billion, around 24.1 billion in Turkish Lira.
According to the study, fake pills accounted for more than half of the seized illegal goods, followed by electronic and food products.
The figures were also backed up in the World Customs Organization’s most recent Illicit Trade Report.
Özgür told the Daily Shabah that fines and penalties for IP infringement should be more dissuasive and that there should be better protection from customs organisations.
“Registrations and labelling rules that are not in line with the norms of the EU on fake, counterfeit and smuggled goods should immediately be amended to be in conformity with European standards," said Özgür.
“In order to fight illicit trade, many institutions should cooperate. We believe such developments should continue increasingly in order for Turkey to be one of the ten largest economies of the world," he added.
