Global fashion retailer Guess has partnered up with the Philippines’ Bureau of Customs (BOC) to reinforce efforts against counterfeit products, following the agency’s huge seizure of over 1.7 million fake items valued at around US $ 282 million, marking one of the Philippines’ major anti-counterfeiting crackdowns to date.
The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service – Intellectual Property Rights Division (CIIS-IPRD), headed by Guess Philippines’ legal chief Kristian Nico Acosta, currently carried out follow-up inspections at Divisoria warehouses where counterfeit clothing, bags, and a wide range of accessories featuring unlawful brands’logo like Guess, Michael Kors, and Louis Vuitton, had been in custody earlier.
Acosta highly praised the BOC’s enhanced partnership with brand owners, highlighting, “Fake goods are not only unlawful, but they also present risks to consumers and weaken authentic businesses.”
BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio emphasized that, under his leadership, the agency has augmented its application of technology, accelerated legal proceedings, and reinforced its crackdown on online fake sales. He also mentioned that Guess and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines had long flagged the targeted warehouses.
Acosta also underlined the BOC’s active role in the 2024 E-Commerce MoU, intended to ensure effective and efficient accountability for online sellers concerning the violations of intellectual property rights.
Rubio reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to safeguarding consumers and upholding a fair marketplace.
