A Crusade against Fakes in Ghana - ACP Business Climate
A Crusade against Fakes in Ghana - ACP Business Climate
A Crusade against Fakes in Ghana - ACP Business Climate
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-Z<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Towards a private sector<br />
enabl<strong>in</strong>g environment<br />
A Facility f<strong>in</strong>anced by the<br />
European Development Fund<br />
Table of Contents<br />
1 DOSSIER<br />
n A <strong>Crusade</strong> <strong>aga<strong>in</strong>st</strong> <strong>Fakes</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Ghana</strong><br />
2 BRÈVES<br />
n A Regional Workshop for the CEMAC region<br />
on Counterfeit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
2 REQUÊTES<br />
n New requests under exam<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
Information Bullet<strong>in</strong> of the <strong>ACP</strong> Bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>Climate</strong> Facility May 2008 / N 16<br />
A <strong>Crusade</strong> <strong>aga<strong>in</strong>st</strong> <strong>Fakes</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Ghana</strong><br />
BizClim supports the <strong>Ghana</strong>ian Anti-counterfeit<strong>in</strong>g Coalition.<br />
The <strong>ACP</strong> Bus<strong>in</strong>ess <strong>Climate</strong> Facility<br />
(BizClim) provides technical<br />
assistance that is essentially about<br />
improv<strong>in</strong>g regulations, legislation,<br />
the <strong>in</strong>stitutional set up and<br />
f<strong>in</strong>ancial measures (the rules of<br />
the game) relat<strong>in</strong>g to the enabl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
environment of the private sector<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>ACP</strong> countries or regions and to<br />
the reform of SOEs - and to do so<br />
by focus<strong>in</strong>g on possible support<br />
to <strong>ACP</strong> governments or regional<br />
<strong>in</strong>stitutions.<br />
Responsible Editor<br />
M’Hamed Cherif<br />
Av. Roger Vandendriessche 38<br />
1150 Brussels - Belgium<br />
Tel: +32 2 772 01 19<br />
Fax: +32 2 777 08 60<br />
<strong>in</strong>fo@acpbus<strong>in</strong>essclimate.org<br />
http://www.acpbus<strong>in</strong>essclimate.org<br />
T<br />
he <strong>Ghana</strong>ian Anti-counterfeit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Coalition is kick-start<strong>in</strong>g a oneyear<br />
old organization’s crusade<br />
<strong>aga<strong>in</strong>st</strong> counterfeit and pirated products<br />
<strong>in</strong> this West African country’s marketplace.<br />
The Coalition will enter <strong>in</strong>to a susta<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
process of eradicat<strong>in</strong>g products that <strong>in</strong>fr<strong>in</strong>ge<br />
<strong>aga<strong>in</strong>st</strong> legitimate <strong>in</strong>tellectual property<br />
rights, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g patents, <strong>in</strong>dustrial designs,<br />
trademarks, and copyrights.<br />
First, the Anti-counterfeit<strong>in</strong>g Coalition<br />
will develop recommendations on the<br />
structure, functions and operations of a more<br />
formalized IP Crime Taskforce, compris<strong>in</strong>g<br />
primarily government enforcement agencies<br />
and <strong>in</strong>dustry representatives. Second, are<br />
recommendations on strengthen<strong>in</strong>g the legal<br />
and regulatory <strong>in</strong>frastructure support<strong>in</strong>g<br />
IP rights, and combat<strong>in</strong>g the production,<br />
distribution and sale of fakes.<br />
In addition to the two above-mentioned<br />
pillars, the Coalition’s <strong>in</strong>itiative supports the<br />
<strong>in</strong>itiation of a public awareness campaign <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>Ghana</strong>, to raise the consciousness levels of<br />
government agencies, <strong>in</strong>dustry players, and<br />
consumers, as to the dangerous effects of the<br />
trade <strong>in</strong> fakes, both for consumers themselves<br />
and for the economy.<br />
Counterfeit<strong>in</strong>g even kill people...<br />
The <strong>in</strong>iative is try<strong>in</strong>g to reverse the general<br />
public perception that “knock-offs” are a<br />
harmless enterprise affect<strong>in</strong>g no real victim.<br />
Putt<strong>in</strong>g aside devaluation of trademark and<br />
brand value, and the real damages caused<br />
to artists, composers and authors, fake<br />
consumer goods have killed large numbers<br />
of Africans, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g a recent case of 160<br />
victims of a fake oral hygiene product.<br />
Enforcement <strong>aga<strong>in</strong>st</strong> fakes is not as easy<br />
as one might imag<strong>in</strong>e upon first glance.<br />
The trade <strong>in</strong> counterfeit and pirated<br />
products is closely tied up <strong>in</strong> the trade<br />
of other illicit and smuggled goods, and<br />
often has organized crime l<strong>in</strong>ks. It would<br />
not be uncommon to f<strong>in</strong>d loads of cargo<br />
conta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g several types of fake products,<br />
comb<strong>in</strong>ed with smuggled authentic goods
❯ ❮<br />
In Brief<br />
❯<br />
(seek<strong>in</strong>g to avoid import duties) and<br />
perhaps even illicit (legally prohibited)<br />
materials.<br />
Combat counterfeit<strong>in</strong>g is not<br />
an easy task<br />
Compound<strong>in</strong>g the difficulty, or perhaps<br />
one of the major causes of the problem, are<br />
<strong>Ghana</strong>’s long borders with neighbour<strong>in</strong>g<br />
countries. <strong>Ghana</strong> has hundreds, perhaps<br />
thousands, of miles of land borders with<br />
Togo to the east, Burk<strong>in</strong>a Faso to the north,<br />
and Ivory Coast to the West. These are<br />
borders without border <strong>in</strong> effect, as one<br />
can quite easily f<strong>in</strong>d a farm that lies on both<br />
sides of the “official” <strong>Ghana</strong>/Togo border<br />
l<strong>in</strong>e for example. Thousands of small<br />
foot-paths between the two countries are<br />
impossible to patrol and are used regularly<br />
by legitimate persons and more nefarious<br />
traders. .<br />
It seems illogical to assume that the trade <strong>in</strong><br />
fakes could be carried out one motorcycle<br />
shipment at a time, until consider<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
fact that the mark-up on fake products<br />
can be up to the hundreds of percent,<br />
sometime even out-pac<strong>in</strong>g the profitability<br />
level of narcotics; thus the <strong>in</strong>terest level of<br />
less than legitimate bus<strong>in</strong>esspersons.<br />
Identify<strong>in</strong>g best practice and<br />
measur<strong>in</strong>g impact <strong>in</strong> <strong>Ghana</strong><br />
BizClim is assist<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>Ghana</strong>ian Anticounterfeit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Coalition to beg<strong>in</strong> the<br />
process of accurately captur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
economic causes, effects and impacts<br />
of counterfeit and pirated products by<br />
conduct<strong>in</strong>g a survey of consumers and<br />
<strong>in</strong>dustry and synthesiz<strong>in</strong>g f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> the<br />
form of a prelim<strong>in</strong>ary socio-economic<br />
impact assessment. Assessment f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
can assist all stakeholders, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
agency officials, <strong>in</strong> their resource-allocation<br />
decision-mak<strong>in</strong>g vis-a-vis the proposals for<br />
strengthen<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>stitutional and legal/<br />
regulatory <strong>in</strong>frastructures for combat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the trade <strong>in</strong> fakes.<br />
April marks the mid-po<strong>in</strong>t of BizClim’s first<br />
<strong>in</strong>tervention with the <strong>Ghana</strong>ian Anticounterfeit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Coalition. More news will<br />
come on f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs and conclusions of our<br />
<strong>in</strong>itial set of activities <strong>in</strong> July, as well as an<br />
update on possible future activities with<br />
this forward look<strong>in</strong>g dynamic partner <strong>in</strong><br />
strengthen<strong>in</strong>g the bus<strong>in</strong>ess climate <strong>in</strong> West<br />
Africa. n<br />
A Regional Workshop<br />
for the CEMAC region<br />
on Counterfeit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Back on the 10th of December of last<br />
year, the African Industrial Association<br />
(AIA) organized a regional workshop<br />
for the CEMAC region aimed at<br />
enhanc<strong>in</strong>g awareness about problems<br />
stemm<strong>in</strong>g from counterfeit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and identify<strong>in</strong>g the weaknesses <strong>in</strong><br />
combat<strong>in</strong>g counterfeit<strong>in</strong>g, e.g. legal,<br />
regulatory and <strong>in</strong>stitutional.<br />
The regional workshop was based<br />
on a study commissioned by AIA<br />
and undertak<strong>in</strong>g by an <strong>in</strong>dependent<br />
consultant. The workshop participants<br />
made concrete recommendations<br />
and draw a road map on how to<br />
fight counterfeit<strong>in</strong>g. The study has<br />
been f<strong>in</strong>alized and is now available.<br />
In addition, BizClim is committed<br />
to dissem<strong>in</strong>ate the road-map and<br />
build support for its implementation.<br />
Accord<strong>in</strong>gly, BizClim will soon<br />
announce concrete follow-up actions<br />
aimed at promot<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>itiatives at the<br />
national and regional level that can<br />
facilitate implementation of the roadmap.<br />
NEW REQUESTS UNDER EXAMINATION<br />
Country/Region Beneficiaries Title<br />
Mozambique<br />
M<strong>in</strong>istry of Industry<br />
Evaluation of export potential for some<br />
agricultural products of Mozambique<br />
Mozambique<br />
M<strong>in</strong>istry of Industry<br />
of Trade<br />
A feasibility study for the creation of a<br />
S<strong>in</strong>gle Mozambique Inspection Agency<br />
Africa Africa Investor Ai Investment <strong>Climate</strong> Summit 2008<br />
Jamaica<br />
Jamaica Trade & Invest<br />
(JTI)<br />
Participation <strong>in</strong> EXPO Zaragoza 2008<br />
BizClim <strong>in</strong>vites you to<br />
become an associate<br />
expert <strong>in</strong> an <strong>ACP</strong><br />
country or region<br />
Africa<br />
Association pour la<br />
Promotion de l’Arbitrage<br />
en Afrique (APAA)<br />
Establishment of an African network of<br />
alternative settlement of commercial<br />
and <strong>in</strong>vestment related disputes.<br />
e-Z<strong>in</strong>e N16 n May 2008