Turkey is the second-largest counterfeit market in the world, worth $3 billion per year. Isik Ozdogan and Ezgi Baklaci describe how car company Toyota has protected itself against this threat.
Counterfeiters imitate a wide range of products, from pharmaceuticals to handbags and clothes, cosmetics, electronic products, cigarettes and automobile spare parts. According to the Ankara Chamber of Commerce’s 2010 Counterfeit Economy report, 58 percent of Turkish consumers prefer counterfeit products, demonstrating the economic and political strength of counterfeiters.
Sophisticated counterfeiters who manufacture high volumes of counterfeit products to be distributed internationally are familiar with Turkish laws, are organised, and use gaps in trademark laws to their advantage. Therefore, trademark owners should confront these counterfeiters with a long-term strategy instead of short-term or quick reactive solutions.
Toyota has been successful in obtaining observable results in its fight against the counterfeit market since developing a customised anti-counterfeiting strategy with our IP department in 2007.
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Toyota, anti-counterfeiting, automotive, spare parts
