Brand Protection Case Studies
Dubai Police Liaison – Brand Protection Case Study
TenIntelligence works closely with the Dubai Criminal Investigation Department, who were tipped off with the location of a large villa in Dubai purported to be storing and selling counterfeit luxury designer handbags, clothing, jewellery, shoes etc. Our Team was requested to assist the CID officers to conduct a visit to the premises to understand the layout of the property together with the quantity and types of brands on offer.
Having met with the tenant of the property we provided the necessary information to the brand holders and Dubai CID allowing them to conduct a successful raid against the target. A total of 350,000 dirhams (£60,000) worth of counterfeit goods were confiscated, including some well-known fashion brands.
Market Survey – Brand Protection Case Study
A client advised that counterfeit branded fragrances were being sold in the open market at heavily discounted prices and the contents of which may be harmful.
TenIntelligence was instructed to conduct a market survey to identify how many retailers in a named area of Dubai sold the branded fragrances and the quantities involved. Our report detailed the names of the companies, together with the quantities that were on display and how many they could supply on a wholesale basis and the possible turnaround times.
Additionally we also informed the client that not only counterfeit fragrances being sold, but commented on the number of other branded products such as sunglasses, clothing etc.
High End Luxury Jewellery Factory – Instagram – Dubai
One of the largest law firms in the Middle East instructed TenIntelligence to carry out investigations into an Instagram account which was marketing the sale of counterfeit luxury jewellery. The case lasted over three months owing to the fact the account holder was not a UAE resident. TenIntelligence operatives together with the assistance of local law enforcement were able to identify the location of the factory where the high end jewellery was being manufactured. A raid on the premises secured over 10,000 pieces of precious stones, gems and other jewellery shaped in the form of the client’s trademark.
Approximately 30,000 pieces of counterfeit items seized from a farm in Sharjah
TenIntelligence conducted the largest raid to date at a farm located in Sharjah, UAE. The estimated seizure was worth approximately 500,000USD, with the products occupying three truckloads. The goods are now secured in a storage facility and will remain there until the issuance of their destruction from the Courts.
TenIntelligence invited to attend the Dubai Customs workshop ahead of IPR week
TenIntelligence received a personal invitation to attend a workshop hosted by Dubai Customs ahead of IPR Week. The IPR Workshop is a week-long event held by Dubai Customs each year to mark World Intellectual Property Day (26 April). The event was attended by customs inspectors and officials, together with other UAE government departments and private sector vendors and brand owners.
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and Sharjah Criminal Investigation Department joint enforcement
TenIntelligence, in partnership with Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and Sharjah Criminal Investigation Department (CID), has successfully carried out raids on counterfeit electronic products. Our Dubai team worked with UL, a global independent safety science company, to assist officers from Sharjah CID in identifying almost AED 4 million worth of counterfeit products and items that featured unauthorised trademarks.
TenIntelligence provided Sharjah CID with evidence of the counterfeit products and their locations, as well as additional assistance during the raids. Items with a total value of AED 3,997,667 were confiscated, including 30,546 illegal lithium-ion batteries, AC adaptors, chargers, keyboards, hard drives and LCD screens.
TenIntelligence is pleased to work with local and global law enforcement authorities and contribute to apprehending and prosecuting counterfeiters who break the law. It is also important to recognise that this successful collaboration has protected the public’s safety and prevented the spread and sale of illegal and dangerous counterfeit goods across the Emirates. The operation was the latest in a series of ongoing collaborations between UL, TenIntelligence, police and local authorities in the UAE designed to target sellers and manufacturers of such goods.
Cate Wells, Managing Director (Dubai), said: “This joint approach proves we can prevent the sale and distribution of hazardous and substandard commodities. For clients like UL, it is their utmost desire to prevent harm to consumers and they are concerned with much more than the financial value of the goods that have been removed from the markets. Congratulations to all involved – our Dubai Team, Sharjah CID and Natalie Wong and Hamid Syed at UL.”
Market Surveys – Brand Protection Case Study
TenIntelligence was tasked with conducting a market survey in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar by a well-known mobile phone manufacturer to assist in identification of traders who were making unauthorised use of its trademarks and to establish whether these traders were selling counterfeit or original products.
Our Team provided the Client with a fully comprehensive report which provided details of the name of the trader, types of counterfeit products on offer and the quantities involved together with evidence or by way of a small test purchase and the collection of business cards.
The information and evidence gathered from the market surveys and test purchase programmes, equipped our Client with the reliable evidence package they require to take further legal action.
Sharing Success with Dubai Police
In early December, Dubai Police confiscated counterfeit fire prevention products worth Dh2.5 million (around USD 680,000) in a police raid. The anti-counterfeit operation was conducted by the Department of Combating Economic Crimes of the General Department of Criminal investigations at Dubai Police in association with technology security firm UL (Underwriters Laboratories) and our TenIntelligence team.
Following our success in 2019, our team will continue to work alongside with Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) in the different Emirates for the safe removal of counterfeit products. For more updates, you can follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @TenIntelligence.
You can also visit our website at www.tenintel.com/brand-protection, where you can find out how we support clients in the identification, gather intelligence and the execution of enforcement notices on counterfeit branded goods found in the UAE.
To protect your brand and keep your customers safe, contact our brand protection team in Dubai at dubai@tenintel.com, so we can work collaboratively for the identification and safe removal of counterfeit products.