According to recent reports, in the past year, Moji Customs has intervened in the importation of 57,557 items that infringe intellectual property rights, exceeding 50,000 items for the first time in two years. These results highlight the critical importance of continued efforts by customs authorities in protecting intellectual property rights.
Approximately 80% of these infringing items involve trademark violations including counterfeit brands and pharmaceuticals, with the remainder comprising items like character merchandise that violate copyright laws. These figures clearly demonstrate that the distribution of infringing goods is still widespread, necessitating heightened vigilance among consumers.
Particularly noteworthy are the primary sources of these imported goods. The majority of the infringing items come from China, followed by Vietnam and South Korea. This geographical information can be invaluable in enhancing surveillance of imports from specific regions.
Another significant point raised by Naoto Arita, the Director of Operations at Moji Customs, is that many individuals unknowingly purchase counterfeit items through online shopping sites. This highlights the need for consumers to be more cautious when making purchases online, verifying the source, and ensuring that they buy from legitimate channels.
To address this issue, education and information provision are key. It is essential for consumers to understand the characteristics of goods that infringe on intellectual property rights and to develop the ability to distinguish counterfeit products. Additionally, government agencies and related organizations should actively provide information on how to identify fake products and safe purchasing practices to strengthen consumer protection.
Such efforts by customs are crucial in safeguarding the domestic market and ensuring that legitimate businesses can compete fairly. As consumers, we also need to cooperate with these efforts and deepen our understanding. The protection of intellectual property rights can greatly depend on the awareness of individuals, making it crucial for each of us to learn about this issue and take the right actions.
