Fakes and Forgeries: CACN Event at the Royal Ontario Museum

 

March 25, 2010

Eaton Court at the Royal Ontario Museum

 

Key Messages CACN

 

• Public education is a key mandate of CACN. CACN and its members are pleased to support the initiative of the ROM to present a thoughtful and relevant exhibition on a problem that is not always visible, but very prevalent.
• Counterfeiting is not only theft of possible revenue but also theft of a company’s trademark and intellectual property.
• Piracy of a wide variety of consumer goods has a negative impact on society as doubts about a product’s origin can erode the trust in companies’ commitment to quality standards.
• Piracy has an economic cost. The International Chamber of Commerce estimates that five to seven percent of world trade – worth US$450 billion – is in counterfeit and pirated goods. This is lost revenue to companies whose trademark is being stolen and lost revenue for governments through taxation.
• Counterfeit and pirated products available in Canada include:
• children’s toys (that do not meet Canadian safety standards);
• electrical products, such as power bars, extension cords and seasonal decorative lighting, often bearing phony CSA or UL certification labels;
• automobile and aircraft parts;
• pharmaceutical products;
• food and beverages, including alcoholic beverages;
• software, video games, CDs and DVDs; and
• luxury goods of all kinds.
• The “Computer Software Piracy and Counterfeiting” display contributed by Microsoft focuses on pirated software and highlights risks associated with counterfeit products. Displayed are several Microsoft products, including an Xbox 360 video game, Office Professional software, and a label of authenticity from Windows XP.
• Counterfeit goods pose serious threats to consumer health and safety. They are now routinely found in up-scale shopping malls and reputable retail chains.
• There is also growing evidence linking counterfeiting and piracy to organized crime and terrorism.
• CACN works with government to sensitize border service agencies and law enforcement of the problem of counterfeit and piracy.
• A better legislative framework is needed to deal with issues of piracy and counterfeit.
• The presence of the US Ambassador highlights the need for cross-border cooperation on these matters.

 

Sequence of Events

 

 

Download Word Document.