"This public event, organized by the Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights, served not only as an example of enforcement in action but also to mark a new procedural precedent for trademark protection."

Biznes & Baltija, December 11, 2001

Client:

Counterfeit Destruction Project by the Coalition for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR)
 

The Assignment:

Latvia is a major transit point in the pipeline of counterfeit goods bound for western European markets. The illegal trade in counterfeit goods is a global problem of growing magnitude. In late 2001, it came to CIPR's attention that the Latvian authorities had seized a large shipment of 25 million fake Benson&Hedges, Marlboro, and Marlboro Lights cigarettes, well-known trademarks belonging to Philip Morris and BAT. PBN's assignment was to use this seized shipment of counterfeit goods to send a strong signal to the rest of the world that counterfeits are not welcome in Latvia.
 

PBN’s Strategy:

The PBN Company and our client, CIPR decided to hold the first ever large-scale public destruction of seized counterfeit products in the region, demonstrating Latvia's firm commitment to the rule of law and war on counterfeiting. So, on December 10, 2001, CIPR assembled key Latvian government leaders, law enforcement officials, trademark owners, diplomats and the news media to witness the burning of 25 million fake cigarettes.
 

Results:

The destruction event received broad coverage in both Latvian- and Russian-language print and electronic media.  It was attended by members of the Presidential Administration, key ministries and the Parliament as well as law enforcement authorities from the State Security Police, Revenue Service and Customs Department and senior diplomats from the embassies of Lithuania, Estonia, the Russian Federation, Sweden, the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union. Most importantly, it was also the first time seized counterfeit goods were destroyed in Latvia without a judicial order, establishing a new precedent for trademark protection and enforcement in Latvia.
 

Our Work:

Latvian Government Incinerates 25-Million Counterfeit Cigarettes, December 10, 2001. Read

Combating Counterfeits in Latvia. Read

For more information, please contact:
Romans.Baumanis@pbnco.com