The ninth annual Global Anti-Counterfeiting Awards have recognised some of the "Big Beasts" of the international campaign against the trade in fake goods. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of Nigeria has won the Public Organisation award for its inspirational fight to eliminate fake medicines in Nigeria; and the tireless enthusiasm of the Nokia Corporation in combating fakes in their industry and in the marketplace generally has also been recognised in the Company category. The Association award has been won by a relative newcomer to the scene: the Brand Protection Group - Lebanon for an exceptional organisation and media campaign.
The winners of the ninth annual Global Anti-Counter feiting Awards, sponsored by Authentication News™, published by Recon-naissance International, and the Global Anti- Counter feiting Group (GACG) Network were announced at a ceremony in Paris today, 26th June 2007. As part of the activities of World Anti-Counter feiting Day, organised by theUnion des Fabricants and the GACG, the awards were made as a continuing recognition of special achievements by organisations that have made contributions to the campaign against the trade in fakes 'above and beyond the call of duty'.
Counter feit and pirated goods cost the global economy around 6 billion according to many experts, and this translates into loss of legal employment, lack of investment in new jobs and increased prices of legal goods. It also means less public funding for services such as health, education and social welfare. Interpol and the World Customs Organisation in particular have also noted the specific involvement of major international organised criminal gangs in the trade in fakes. Many organisations and companies are taking effective action against these dangerous and sub-standard goods to protect consumers, promote investment in new jobs and increase government revenues.
Some organisations 'go the extra mile' and the GAC awards are a recognition of this outstanding per formance.
The winners and commendations for activities in 2006, announced today, are:
Public Organisation:
Winner: National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria
Highly Commended: Comité National Anti-Contrefacon (CNAC), France
Economic Crimes Investigation Dep-artment, Ministry of Public Security, PR China Commended
IPR Division of the Department for Trade Policy Measures, State Customs Service of Ukraine
Association:
Winner: Brand Protection Group - Lebanon
Commended: International Anti- Counter feiting Coalition (IACC), USA
Company:
Winner: Nokia IPR Brand Protection,Global Anti-Counter feiting Team Highly Commended: GlaxoSmithKline- Geoff Power, Director Packaging and Security, UK Johnson and Johnson Worldwide Security - China
Media:
Winner: None
Commended Brand Protection Group - Lebanon
Special Mention
The judges have noted the exceptional work of the companies involved in the Silk St. market court cases in Beijing, PR China and the landmark decisions of the Beijing High People's Court. This activity does not fit into GAC Awards categories despite nomination by significant groups. The Judges agreed to a 'Special Mention' for the nominees including Prada, Guccio, Gucci spa, Burberry, LVMH, Chanel, and Hermes, and, of course, the Beijing courts.
The awards are open to nominations from anyone with an interest in brand protection, anti-counter feiting, and anti-piracy activities, particularly in the international context, ensuring a wide spread of nominations from across the world. There were strong nominations in all categories this year and competition for the top honours was close. The awards were judged by a panel from Reconnaissance International, the GACG, and representatives of the award winners in 2006.
The awards presentations were made on World Anti-Counter feiting Day, 26th June 2007 at Club Med World in Paris during an event hosted by the Union des Fabricants the French Anti-Counter feiting organisation and GACG network member.
The Union des Fabricants has organised World Anti-Counter feiting Day at various international travel locations in and around Paris for several years. The presentation on 26th June was hosted by Marc-Antoine Jamet, Chairman of the Union des Fabricants, and John Anderson, Chairman of GACG.
Several of the award winners were present to receive their prize. Some of the Highly Commended and Commended winners were also present to receive their certificates. The remaining awards will be presented at suitable occasions during the coming weeks.
John Anderson, Chairman of the GACG network of national and regional anticounter feiting organisations said "The awards this year again highlight the wide range of cooperation that is needed and provided by different organisations across the public/private sector divide, in the campaign against the international trade in fakes. I am especially impressed with the emphasis on the importance of raising public awareness that was evident in many of the nominations."
Ian Lancaster of Reconnaissance International, publisher of Authentication News, said "We are proud to sponsor and participate in the annual GACG awards.
The process of nomination, judging and presentation of the awards highlights the challenges of brand protection and IPR enforcement. The projects recognised here all demonstrate the need for a strategic protective approach, which integrates legal mechanisms, authentication solutions, investigation and enforcement".
Details of Award Winners
Public Organisation: The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) of Nigeria has been a beacon of positive activity on all fronts for some years. Raising public awareness of the harmful effects of fake medicines has been one of its top priorities. The Anti-Counter feiting Coalition (ACC) of Nigeria has also noted "There has been a phenomenal increase in seizures and destruction exercises of fake drugs carried out by the agency. To date, the agency has carried out a total of 60 destruction exercises valued at over 20 billion Naira (US$770 million) and has placed about 3,760 metric tonnes of regulated products on "hold". In the Port Harcourt zone alone NAFDAC has put on hold 229 containers of regulated products.
Association: The Brand Protection Group - Lebanon, formed on 2003, strives to raise awareness of the social and economic effects of counter feiting in government as well as in the general public. In 2005, BPG Lebanon launched a national awareness campaign under the message "Ask for your right. Refuse counter feit products" and repeated it in 2006/2007. The BPG Lebanon is also Commended in the Media category of the GAC Awards 2007.
Company: The Nokia Corporation has been one of the leading companies in IPR protection and enforcement for several years. Receiving two nominations this year, and the surprise of the judges that this was their first nomination. The Nokia Corporation IPR Brand Protection Global Anti-Counter feiting Team is a dedicated and effective actor in the global battle against counter feiting. The company co-operates smoothly and effectively with all authorities on a global basis. Nokia has been party to several landmark right holder-friendly decisions in several jurisdictions and is also a founding and still active member of the Finnish Anti- Counter feiting Group. Nokia also plays a leading role in several other national and international anti-counter feiting organisations.
Highly Commended Winners: The competition for the award in Public Organisation Category was very intense.
Out of 9 excellent nominations there were several worthy of note. Both the Comite National Anti-Contrefacon (CNAC) of France and the Economic Crimes Investigation Department of the MPS, PR China, would have won in any other year and both have excellent records "above and beyond the call of duty". In the company category, there is welcome recognition for the work done by Geoff Power of GlaxoSmithKline in the field of anti-counter feiting technology; and for Johnson and Johnson China for their untiring work both for their products and for the China Quality Brand Protection Committee generally.
Commended Winners: The IACC of the USA has been reborn in recent years and the GAC Award judges felt that the new enthusiasm and dynamism should be recognised. Likewise the work of the Ukraine State Customs Service which has, from scratch, created a workable and effective IPR enforcement system working both with brand owners and exofficio.
© Al Ahram Weekly 2007
