Misuse of Small Parcels for Trade in Counterfeit Goods
Facts and Trends
This study examines the potential for the misuse of small parcels for trade in counterfeit and pirated goods. It presents the legal and economic contexts of the operation of express and postal services. It also looks at the available data on volumes of small consignments, via postal and courier streams, in the context of seizures of counterfeit and pirated goods. Furthermore it analyses the links between the observed dynamics in markets for small parcels and the available information on misuse of this service by traffickers in counterfeit and pirated goods.
Introduction
Illicit trade in counterfeit and pirated goods Goods that infringe trademarks, copyrights, patents or design rights. is a growing and significant problem. Globalisation opens up new opportunities for criminal networks to expand the scope and scale of their operations in illicit trade in counterfeit and pirated goods. Trade in fakes also undermines good governance, the rule of law and citizens’ trust in government, and can ultimately threaten political stability.