Anti-Counterfeiting Investigation Services in Africa

Corporate Investigators Africa has been providing intellectual property investigation services to numerous clients for three decades. We have participated in several anti-counterfeiting investigations and have been part of several seizures. The issue of intellectual property rights infringement has been increasing over the years and we have tried our best to provide investigation services and identify the infringers. With our strong international ties and partners in over one hundred and fifty countries, we are equipped to provide the most accurate services possible. We have been holding a professionalised team that works day and night to provide timely results.

Intellectual Property right investigators and anti-counterfeiting investigators have been working in various locations to identify all the people who indulge in counterfeiting of goods. Over the last two decades, many countries too have introduced legislations to act against any counterfeiting conduct of the products. Various high end brands have been facing issues pertaining to intellectual property right infringement. There are several such people who have been involved in creating fake copies of the original product or even using the brand names to create different products to deceive the end consumer. Such acts are bound to devalue the original product in the market and affect the company’s business quite adversely. These practices have been growing common all over the world and people are able to buy any product at knock off prices anywhere at specialised markets who work in creating ‘copies’.

This problem has caused losses to the tune of billions of dollars to several branding companies and the problem only seems to be growing over the years. This is as serious for the consumers as it is for any company manufacturing a product. When a person pays for an original product and instead is given a fake copy of it, the risks involved can be manifold. A very common example is the sale of fake makeup products; people buy these goods unknowingly and several products end up causing several skin damages to the user. And this is just a minor example of a very large scale industry indulged in counterfeiting acts around the world. Corporate Investigators Africa has been dealing with such investigations, and we have been able to capture several such acts. Counterfeiting is a criminal offense and we have worked with the local authorities from time to time to protect the rights of the companies and make sure that our clients face no damages. Africa Corporate Investigators has a strong network all over the world with partners having strong ties with the local authorities. Our resources provided us with all the requirements that help us stop such acts of counterfeiting.

There have been several ways to protect one’s company from trademark infringements; these include government legislations as well developed investigation services. But as a manufacturer, one realises that in certain issues precautions cannot be taken. And so few problems that a manufactures faces are:

Counterfeiting is given a lower priority in comparison to other offences. Although over the course of last few years new legislations have been introduced to protect the infringement of goods but manufacturers still face major problems in regard specially the ones dealing with small scale infringements.
It is at times difficult to trace the whole network of a counterfeit activity. The problem with this is that these people have a very strong and wide spread network and in smaller markets it is easier to hide the sources. Only with the help of an experienced investigator, can you reach the subtle details of the problem.
Sometimes, the procedural rules are just too complicated for a problem. For a manufacturer, if a person is using his name it would be considered trademark infringement. But for law, the same act cannot be an infringement. And it is completely fact based, usually causing loss to the businessman.

Corporate Investigators Africa has been conducting anti-counterfeiting investigations for many years now. We have worked with different industries and companies. Almost every sector and sub sector has worked with us. Our wide list of clients has the following product industries:

Products - Footwear-Sportswear-Pharmaceuticals-Tobacco-Confectionery-Apparel-Software-Hardware-Electronic and electronic goods-White goods-Household goods-Alcohols and spirits-Beverages-Perfumes and cosmetics-Automotive goods-Toys-Watches-Luxury goods-Sports goods-Mobile phones and accessories-Machinery-Spare parts-Publications-Music-Stationery items etc.

Trademark counterfeiting has been growing in the recent times. We with our experience can promise to help you reach the infringer, find our strategies used by such producers, shut down these businesses and eventually prevent any such problem to arise in future. We also assure that we stay alert for our client’s safety and discretion to safeguard his work. We have strategies to target the producers that are indulged in any counterfeiting acts and we try our best to protect the brands information through investigations. Various intellectual property right investigations include:

1. Identification from seller to reseller. Eventually reaching out to the illegal or legal manufactures who has been involved in counterfeiting acts.
2. Samples/trap purchases to collect samples from different and distinct places. This provides our clients with a collective report of all the places that have been involved in infringing his intellectual property.
3. General market surveys to identify any counterfeit stocks. This a common practice by the big brands to keep a check against any trade mark infringements.
4. Searching internet supplies of the counterfeit products of any particular product of the clients.
5. Doing an in depth research on network counterfeiters who have been involved in this act and have been reason of a constant supply of the fake products in the market. Any major investigation would require a part of this type of trademark search.

We work as a team to help our clients. We know that any inquiry regarding corporate businesses would require extreme sensitivity and we make sure that all the conversations are conducted under confidentiality. Client satisfaction has been our goal since the establishment of our company. We hold pride in providing the best possible service to our clients. You can contact us any time and place your queries and our professionals will try their best to help you.