KOCHI: So, you are on Jew Street in the city and you get your hands on an American Tourister backpack or a VIP suitcase at a lucrative discount. Wouldn’t you feel lucky? Beware. The sale of fake products carrying the label of well-known companies is getting rampant in the city and is fast becoming a nightmare for authorities.
Fake backpacks and suitcases under the labels of VIP and Samsonite, which owns American Tourister, are being sold freely here.
In the first week of April, the Central Police Station along with the Enforcers Of Intellectual Property Rights (EIPR) conducted raids on Winser, MAS Bag Bazaar, Indian Puca Lifestyles and Winner Bag Bazaar on Jew Street and seized fake American Tourister bags.
In another raid conducted on April 19, 48 Skybags backpacks being sold under VIP’s label were seized.
The raids were carried out in the wake of a complaint lodged by R Stephen Raj of EIPR India Pvt Ltd. The cops lodged an FIR under sections 52 (A) and 63 of the Copyright Act, 1957, in two instances. The police officers said they will initiate swift and stringent action on complaints about the sale of fake products.
EIPR officers said EIPR provided governments, businesses and individuals with information, analysis, training, advice and products to mitigate the growing risks associated with white-collar crimes, misuse of property, intrusions to computer networks, e-commerce site construction and usage, fraud, physical attacks, threats, violence, and uninformed decisions based on incomplete or inaccurate information.