Counterfeit goods – watch out when bargain hunting!

Online shopping is very popular among Swiss consumers. However, not everything delivered to Switzerland is necessarily legal. The 2018 Customs Statistics from the Federal Customs Administration (FCA) indicate an increase in the past year in consignments seized from both tourist and commercial traffic. However, the number of counterfeit goods ordered online and delivered by post or courier is also rising. This is why it is important that consumers are aware of the risk of buying counterfeit products when shopping online.

 

Counterfeiting and piracy affect all sectors and know no boundaries. Cooperation is required on a national and international level to successfully combat this issue. For this reason, the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) is involved in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy, on both a domestic level and within international organisations. As a founding member of STOP PIRACY, the Swiss Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Platform, the IPI plays an important role in this field.