Thousands of counterfeit sporting goods
were intercepted during an international enforcement operation in the
run up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, with the active
participation of customs administrations from seven Latin American
countries.
Coordinated by the World Customs Organization (WCO), the operation was
supported by the European Union (EU), the Federation Internationale de
Football Association (FIFA), and the Federation of the European Sporting
Goods Industry (FESI) and the Federation of the Brazilian Sporting
Goods Industry (MOVE).
Code-named ‘Gol 14’, the one week operation, which took place at the end
of March 2014, resulted in about 750,000 counterfeit items being
intercepted, among which more than 520,000 items were related to the
sporting goods industry, including clothing, sportswear and sports
accessories.
As original jerseys and footwear for the World Cup are being
manufactured by producers in Brazil and its neighbours, creating
employment and uplifting local economies; the trade in counterfeit
goods, however, produces no real benefits for a local economy, but does
impose considerable costs on workers and the community.
For Brazil, the fight against counterfeiting is considered an essential
part of the country’s drive to protect its consumers. In addition,
counterfeit goods are increasingly seen as a threat to legitimate
Brazilian businesses and endangers the country's path towards a more
knowledge-based economy.
The protection of trademarks and other intellectual property rights
(IPR) is also crucial for the EU, whose companies have invested heavily
in research, design and marketing of their products Brazil and the EU
have a regular dialogue on IPR, and have vowed to step up their
cooperation in this field.
Prior to the operation, customs officers were trained in risk analysis
techniques and to recognize the technical characteristics of products
likely to be counterfeited. The training was provided by WCO experts and
supported by officials from the sporting goods industry, FIFA, the
European Union, as well as the Brazilian authorities.