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Clamping down on Cup counterfeits

10 Jun 2010

"With an event as large as the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it is necessary to have stringent regulations in place as to what kinds of products will be sold and how they will be marketed and branded," explains Paul Zacks, GM of Global Brands Group (GBG), the company appointed as FIFA's exclusive worldwide master licensee. "Our company is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the brand and we do that by working only with trusted retail, manufacturing and distribution partners."

Authorities have seized millions of rands worth of illegally imported products at harbours and airports across South Africa. Since November 2009 alone, the South African Revenue Services (SARS) has detained more than R88 million worth of fake goods, with the figure increasing on a weekly basis.

SA partners

GBG entered into partnership with a variety of South African companies who have a proven record of accomplishment in their respective product categories to manufacture official licensed products. These companies include Seardell, Sesli Textiles, Lumoss, House of Busby, Fine Art 2010, Touchline Media, Turner Jewellery, National Stationery, Soy Lights and Promo-Gear to name but a few of the 40 South African licensees.

It has also signed retail agreements with Edgars and Sneakers to operate the official event stores in South Africa. The group insists that products bearing the marks consistently adhere to the best-practice standards in quality, production and related labour practices.

"Consumers need to look out for authentic merchandise, normally bearing the official licensed product logo, and the DeLaRue hologram inside all official licensed products, which includes clothing, headwear, bags, fan gear, bar accessories, leather wallets, water bottles, coasters, traditional blankets, flags, Makarapas, vuvuzelas and other soccer memorabilia," says Zacks.

Call in fakes

"Using any FIFA intellectual property without a licensing agreement in place is against the law and officials will confiscate illegal goods wherever they find them; counterfeiting is a serious criminal offence. We rely heavily on the general public's assistance to report illegal importers, manufacturers and distributors so any such acts of counterfeiting can be punished under respective local law. To curtail the growing number of fake products that are stripping the local manufacturers of an income and South Africans of job creation possibilities, please call +27 (0) 78 923 6776 to report these illegal dealings," concludes Zacks.