Anti-Counterfeiting & the prevention of counterfeit goods
Anti-Counterfeiting is the process of preventing fake, counterfeit goods/products from entering the market and infringing on intellectual property rights of the owners of the original products/goods. Counterfeit goods are products that are carefully but deceptively manufactured to look the original products but are not, of inferior quality, and also fail to meet the standards of the original product. Counterfeiting in products is a global problem that affects all industries, including fashion, pharmaceuticals, electronics, fast-moving consumer goods, and many others.
The success of a manufacturing company highly and increasingly depends on its ability to protect its intellectual property, its assets and its global reputation. From carry-on bags, to handbags, to expensive electronics, to personal & skincare products, counterfeit goods/products often represent a huge cost to a client’s reputation. The result of this can be a permanent damage to a brand especially if not handled properly.
Anti-Counterfeiting Laws & Regulations in Nigeria
In Nigeria, Anti-Counterfeiting is governed by various laws and regulations, and these include:
- Trademarks Act
- Copyright Act
- Patents and Designs Act.
Regulatory Agencies that deal in Anti-Counterfeiting Measures
The Nigerian government has also established these agencies for anti-counterfeiting measures to regulate the quality and standards of products in the market:
- National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
- Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
Our Anti-Counterfeiting services include, but are not limited to the following:
- Administrative actions and investigations at the Corporate Affairs Commission pertaining to conflicts between company names and trademarks of other distinct entities.
- Trademark Registration: We assist businesses in registering their trademarks with the appropriate authorities, ensuring legal protection and exclusive rights to their brands.
- Patent Registration for clients patents for their inventions, thus providing them with the framework to prevent others from manufacturing or selling counterfeit versions of their products.
- Copyright Protection: copyright registration and enforcement, safeguarding clients’ original creative works, such as literary, artistic, and musical creations, from counterfeiting.
- Intellectual Property Audits: Our firm conducts comprehensive audits to assess the strength of clients’ intellectual property portfolios and identify potential vulnerabilities to counterfeiting.
- Intellectual Property Monitoring: We employ advanced monitoring tools to track the market and identify any instances of counterfeit products bearing our clients’ trademarks or copyrights.
- Investigations and Enforcement: Our skilled team conducts in-depth investigations to uncover the source of counterfeit goods, gathering evidence necessary for legal action against counterfeiters.
- Cease and Desist Notices: We prepare and deliver cease and desist notices to individuals or entities involved in counterfeiting, demanding an immediate halt to their infringing activities.
- Customs Recordation: We assist clients in recording their intellectual property rights with customs authorities, enabling them to prevent the importation of counterfeit goods into Nigeria.
Contact Us for your Anti-Counterfeiting Briefs
At Kabbiz Legal & Advisory, we are equipped to help you succeed in your fight against counterfeiters of your products and we will do our utmost best to help you succeed. We invite you to contact us on +2348064231176 for more information or contact Kingsley Ani at kingsley.ani@kabbizlegal.com for further details about how we can help you achieve your goals. To learn more about our Intellectual Property practice area, we invite you to download our IP Brochure by clicking here.
Related Services
- Brand Protection
- Domain Names
- Intellectual Property
- IP Licensing
- Online Reputation Management
- Patents
- Regulatory & Compliance
- Trademarks
- UDRP Dispute Resolution
