Authorities, business groups and companies need to cooperate closelyto keep out fake products during the upcoming festive season, aconference heard on December 23 in Ho Chi Minh City.
At the eventorganised by the Vietnam Association for Anti-counterfeiting andTrademark Protection (VATAP), participants said that despiteauthorities' efforts counterfeit and smuggled products have keptincreasing and remain a serious problem.
They feared thesituation could worsen soon since New Year and Tet (the Lunar New Year)usually see a spike in the consumption of liquor and confectionery.
DoHong Chinh, Deputy Secretary of the Vietnam Beer Alcohol BeverageAssociation, said alcoholic drinks are a popular Tet gift and so couldspark off fakes.
Any success in combating this is only possibleif authorities, industry associations and companies work together, hewarned, underlining that since no foreign spirits are allowed to beproduced in Vietnam, any individual or company making foreign-liquorlabels would be involved in counterfeiting.
In an interview tothe media on the sidelines of the conference, Do Thanh Lam, Deputy Headof the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Market Management Department,said, "This year market watch forces have found over 100,000 cases withproducts violating the law, an increase of 15 percent year-on-year."
Of them 18,000 related to counterfeits, he said.
Most companies and industries did not have a dedicated department for dealing with fakes or developing their brands.
He said companies have to invest in technology and "grey matter" to combat this.
LeThe Bao, Chairman of VATAP, said companies play a very important rolein combating fake products, adding his association appreciated companiesthat invest money in developing distribution systems including storescommitted to selling authentic products.
He promised that theassociation would work closer with authorities and companies to combatthe problem during the upcoming festivals.-VNA
At the eventorganised by the Vietnam Association for Anti-counterfeiting andTrademark Protection (VATAP), participants said that despiteauthorities' efforts counterfeit and smuggled products have keptincreasing and remain a serious problem.
They feared thesituation could worsen soon since New Year and Tet (the Lunar New Year)usually see a spike in the consumption of liquor and confectionery.
DoHong Chinh, Deputy Secretary of the Vietnam Beer Alcohol BeverageAssociation, said alcoholic drinks are a popular Tet gift and so couldspark off fakes.
Any success in combating this is only possibleif authorities, industry associations and companies work together, hewarned, underlining that since no foreign spirits are allowed to beproduced in Vietnam, any individual or company making foreign-liquorlabels would be involved in counterfeiting.
In an interview tothe media on the sidelines of the conference, Do Thanh Lam, Deputy Headof the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Market Management Department,said, "This year market watch forces have found over 100,000 cases withproducts violating the law, an increase of 15 percent year-on-year."
Of them 18,000 related to counterfeits, he said.
Most companies and industries did not have a dedicated department for dealing with fakes or developing their brands.
He said companies have to invest in technology and "grey matter" to combat this.
LeThe Bao, Chairman of VATAP, said companies play a very important rolein combating fake products, adding his association appreciated companiesthat invest money in developing distribution systems including storescommitted to selling authentic products.
He promised that theassociation would work closer with authorities and companies to combatthe problem during the upcoming festivals.-VNA
