In March 2018, the world witnessed an infamous incident of counterfeiting that rocked the Jewelry brands industry. The US Customs and Border Protection Agency seized hundreds of pieces of counterfeit designer brand jewelry coming from Hong Kong that was worth $1.4 million. The package which contained 269 jewelry pieces was confiscated in Philadelphia. The shipment included necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and diamond pendants impersonating brands like Cartier, Chanel, Bvlgari, etc.
A lot goes into the manufacturing of a product; especially with the luxury market, each product that goes out is the result of countless brainstorming, designing, and skilled craftsmanship. Imagine these products that are crafted by the manufacturer being sold in non-approved distribution channels instead of making it to the actual market it is meant to be sold in.
The global fashion industry is finally recovering its footing after being hit by major disruptions emanating from the COVID pandemic of the last two years. The industry that spent decades turning design, aspiration, and high-quality goods into a $3 trillion global behemoth went for a toss when COVID came knocking.
We are living in one of the most prolific times of human history – technological advancement has been one of the biggest gifts to mankind. While we owe a lot to it, we cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that this development also becomes a nightmare to brands at this time. While the growth in technology has given brands an opportunity to create a place for themselves easily and increased their reach by blurring geographical limitations, it has also created the problem of brands maintaining their identity and authenticity both off and online. This has a lead to a situation the issue of brand protection has now been brought to the fore.
Circa late 2019, an unwanted guest made its way into our world, and changed it forever. A tiny virus crippled the world and showed us how powerless we can be. Unprecedented events unfolded, bringing the world to a standstill. Economies crashed and health systems went for a toss as the world braved a pandemic. Covid 19, became a game-changer, ushering in a paradigm shift in different areas of human endeavours.
Counterfeiting – Building a brand is a Herculean task. Besides the germination of an idea, research and innovation behind it and the years of painstaking effort that is put in the creation of brands is akin to seeing one’s baby grow from a toddler into a youngster. Each stage of evolution is put through an immense number of challenges and thus, when a brand carves a niche, it stands as a testament to the hard work and assiduity of the people who have been associated with it.
Pets, for most of us, are an integral part of our lives. Be it the cuteness of a pooch or the agility of a feline, the crisp in the twittering of birds or the calmness of fishes in the tank, the presence of pets in a household is tantamount to therapy that ushers in happiness and bliss. We are all privy to the role pets play in any household, from helping to increase our physical activities, which has become vital especially with remote working setups, to helping us deal with anxiety issues and depressions, pets are the miraculous creatures that not only warm the cockles of our hearts, but also take the cudgel of keeping our health in place. While they help in keeping us healthy and fit, there are occasions in which we inadvertently put their lives at risk.
The holiday season is underway, and while the menace of counterfeit products has been prevalent for decades, incidences of food counterfeiting during the Yuletide season are on a steady rise, due to an increase in online shopping which has been catalysed by the Covid pandemic.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) has warned consumers of a spike in counterfeit products this holiday season. In Fiscal Year 2020, the agency estimates the total value of seized counterfeit goods to be nearly $1.3 billion. Experts have predicted that the present supply-chain problems and the resulting shortages will lead to fake goods circulating in the market.
The pharmaceutical industry has been one of the most profitable targets for counterfeiters for years; In recent times however, the activities of counterfeiters within the sector have increased by several hundred folds. According to a report from The World Economic Forum published in February 2015, counterfeit drugs have been identified as one of the biggest risks facing the world today.
