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13 November 2017Trademarks

Customs seizes fake poppy merchandise

As many countries paid their respects this weekend to those who lost their lives in the First World War, the UK Border Force announced it had seized a range of counterfeit poppy merchandise.

The poppy is protected by a trademark, owned by the Royal British Legion.

In a statement on Friday, November 10, the Border Force said it had randomly inspected a freight train from China and discovered packages containing poppy-branded goods including 1,212 scarves, 5,400 badges and 1,200 key rings.

It added that the haul was estimated to be worth approximately £150,000 ($196,000).

“My officers work around the clock at ports, airports and mail sorting centres identifying and seizing counterfeit goods, and their diligence has proved vital here,” stated Mark Kennedy, acting deputy director.

The statement—made a day before Remembrance Day, November 11—went on to explain that the officers suspected trademark infringement and had contacted the Royal British Legion.

The Royal British Legion is a charity which provides support to members of the armed forces and runs the ‘poppy appeal’, in which people donate to the charity and pin a paper poppy to their clothing to commemorate those who have lost their life in war.

“Had these fake goods entered the market, they could have cheated thousands of pounds from unsuspecting members of the public and diverted vital funds away from the Royal British Legion,” added Kennedy.

A spokesperson for The Royal British Legion explained that the charity has a “responsibility to make sure that these trademarks are protected” so as to ensure that the public can be confident that their donations are going directly to a registered charity.

Officers also discovered 600 four-petal brooches which were later confirmed to infringe the ‘four-petal’ trademark owned by the Earl Haig Fund Scotland, a Scottish charity for veterans of the British armed forces.

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Trademarks
5 November 2018   The UK’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit has launched a crackdown on the online sale of fake poppy merchandise in the run up to Remembrance Day, November 11.