Standards body impounds fake goods

May 04, 2009

THE Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) is stuck with seized counterfeit products worth $1m (sh2b), highlighting the gravity of fake goods finding their way into the country.

By Steven Candia

THE Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) is stuck with seized counterfeit products worth $1m (sh2b), highlighting the gravity of fake goods finding their way into the country.

Speaking at a panel discussion on intellectual property rights, Enoch Walugembe of URA said the goods were impounded over the last two years.

The seized counterfeits, some of which were displayed, included sanitary pads, shoe polish, medicines, tooth brushes, bottled water, electrical appliances and cleaning products branded as VIM and JIK.

Speaking at the function at the Uganda Media Centre, organised by the US embassy in Kampala, Gyavira Musoke of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) acknowledged that the flow of counterfeits into the country posed a danger to the public’s health and safety.

Fake extension cables, he explained, are made of very thin wire, causing the cable to burn when used for loading heavy electric appliances, while fake bulbs have a much shorter life span and can blow after just a couple of weeks.

The UNBS estimates that 20 to 30% of the fake goods are now manufactured locally. Other products, like fake bulbs, are imported but the packaging is done in Uganda.

Gyavira warned particularly against counterfeit drugs, which he said can help build resistance against diseases like malaria because they contain less than the required substances.

Given the magnitude of the problem and the difficulty in detecting fake products, coupled with the intricate nature of the trade, concerted efforts are needed to tackle the vice, he said.

Singer Julianna Kanyomozi, on behalf of the music industry, complained about their songs being used without their permission, saying the bad quality of the pirated copies was giving them a bad reputation.

Inadequate laws were identified as the major set-back in fighting the piracy trade, which is hurting industries and cheating customers.

The new anti-counterfeit bill, which will soon be tabled before Parliament, is more inclusive and has more punitive penalties than the current law.

‘This is a very good law. It is no longer vague and even has a provision for persons found in the possession of counterfeits,” Gyavira said.

But much as the panelists, including Chris Mukua of Microsoft, hailed the efforts to come up with tougher legislation, the bill also generated a heated debate.

The participants noted that there was no link between the Uganda Registration Services Bureau, the organisation that registers trademarks and patents, and agencies like URA and Uganda Bureau of Statistics.

James Wasula, the secretary general of the Uganda Performing Rights Society, said the missing link would undermine the effectiveness of the new law.

“The new law will only be effective if the registration bureau works closely with other stakeholders like URA and UNBS to identify counterfeits and point out breaches of rights,” he said.

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