Cheap products ruin image

The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimates the damage caused by misuse of the "Solingen" brand at several hundred million euros. Ludger Benda on the fight against product pirates.

Solingen would be a town like any other were it not for the famous brand name. "Solingen" is to be found on knives, scissors, cutlery and many other products all over the world. "Unfortunately the name is also a favourite with fakers and forgers and is used to a considerable extent for cheap imported goods", says Ludger Benda, managing director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Wuppertal-Solingen-Remscheid. This criminal activity has done a lot of damage to Solingen's industry and destroyed jobs. The CCI Wuppertal-Solingen-Remscheid puts the damage at 100million a year. "Worse still is the gradual erosion of Solingen's good reputation, because the sale of cheap goods does long-term damage to our image."
Solingen has kept its standing as a centre for the cutlery industry because the name has enjoyed legal protection in Germany as a designation of origin since 1938. According to current German regulations, the name Solingen is only allowed to be used for cutlery for which the essential manufacturing processes were performed in the Solingen industrial zone. To be better able to track infringements of the name abroad and protect its own industry, the CCI responsible for Solingen has increasingly taken to registering trade names in other countries. For example, the name ‘Solingen' has been registered as a trade name for the whole of the European Union since early 2005.

Mr. Benda, why have you submitted "Solingen" for the Plagiarius competition?
One aspect of our strategy to protect the name Solingen is to make the public more aware of the special problem Solingen has. The Plagiarius award with its strong media presence is a prime opportunity to heighten awareness outside the region itself of the problem of massive misuse of the name of Solingen.

Is it important for you to be at Ambiente?
Yes, for two reasons: Ambiente is one of the most important trade fairs in the world for consumer goods. That means that numerous companies from all over the world exhibit there. Experience has shown that cutlery fraudulently bearing the "Solingen" trade name crops up there again and again. So we visit the trade fair to look out for counterfeits and stop their sale.

What support, if any, do you get from trade fair organisers?
My attempts at enlisting the support of trade fair organisers have unfortunately not been very successful these past few years. To be fair though, Messe Frankfurt has made a big effort to respond to product piracy and trademark counterfeiting this year. For example, the trade fair has strongly supported a Customs and Excise campaign to detect and seize counterfeited brand products.

Do you have any request to put to organisers in this matter?
I have always thought they should appoint a contact to deal with product piracy and trademark counterfeiting issues. It would be helpful if the owners of industrial property rights had a contact to inform if they found an infringement at a stand. Of course, the trade fair cannot enforce rights itself but it could have a word with the exhibitor or put the complainant in touch with a lawyer.

How many stands have you cleared or had cleared at Ambiente?
We found counterfeits at two stands of Chinese manufacturers. More than 300 items were seized there. Interview: Christiane Appel

m+a report Nr.2 / 2006 vom 24.03.2006
m+a report vom 24. März 2006