15 October 2009
Customs officials checking exhibitors at the Stuttgart Fastener Fair
fischer taking successful action against plagiarists
The fischer group of companies of Waldachtal and the customs office cooperate closely in fighting brand and patent infringements. At the recent “Fastener Fair” for fixing systems in Stuttgart, customs officers confiscated goods and catalogues from eight foreign exhibitors.
“Pirate products and illegal copies of our patented anchors cause us losses running into several hundred thousand Euros every year”, says Jörg Klaus Fischer, deputy CEO for the fischer group of companies and chairman of the board of management of the fixing systems division. “There is also a higher liability risk for the users of similar-looking, low-quality products which don’t meet the stringent requirements of statutory approvals”.
In the fight against patent infringements, the Waldachtal-based fixing specialist regularly sends its patent attorneys to trade fairs at home and abroad. A number of stands displaying patent-infringing products were also identified at this year’s “Fastener Fair” in Stuttgart. Next to various items very similar to many fischer products, it was mainly copies of the fischer GK plasterboard fixing with setting tool which were found. After meetings and briefings with the principal customs offices in Ulm and Stuttgart, eighteen customs officers eventually examined the stalls of eight exhibitors from Taiwan, China and India.
During the raid, samples, catalogues, brochures, orders and other materials were confiscated, personal details of the exhibitors were taken and criminal proceedings were taken against the personnel manning the stalls. Ordered by the public prosecutor’s office Stuttgart, the offenders had to pay a total of 36,000 Euro to avoid a warrant of arrest (10,000 Euro for repeat offences, 4,000 Euro for first offences) on the spot or as bail for future fines or conditions.
“At the same time we notified the exhibitors by word of mouth and by letter about the background to this action and demanded injunctive declarations which four firms signed at once”, says Dr. Ulrich Suchy, head of Patents and Licences of the fischer group of companies. “Pushed for time, the customs officers could no longer investigate a ninth stall. But the exhibitors there nonetheless signed an injunctive declaration carrying a penalty”.
Besides the exhibitors from Asia, four Polish firms and one Spanish company were identified who also counterfeited the fischer plasterboard fixing. Fischer will also take legal action against these companies. “Our joint action together with the customs officials met with a highly positive response by the other European exhibitors”, says Dr. Ulrich Suchy and added: “I believe we have set an important signal to the market, saying that we will track and prosecute every kind of patent infringement”.
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Customs officers at the Stuttgart “Fastener Fair” checking eight stands of exhibitors suspected of patent infringements.
Photo: © fischerwerke, Waldachtal