PRESS RELEASE

MADE IN ITALY: THE ANTITRUST AUTHORITY, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SPECIAL MARKET PROTECTION UNIT OF THE GUARDIA DI FINANZA (ITALIAN TAX POLICE), SHUTS DOWN TWO WEBSITES FOR COUNTERFEIT RAY BAN BRAND SUNGLASSES

Fourth case of the Authority in defence of those who buy on the web, convinced they are buying brand name products at discount prices. Operation also for protecting consumers’ health as lenses of dubious quality might cause damage to the eyes.

The Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, in collaboration with the Antitrust Group of the Guardia di Finanza’s (Italian Tax Police) Special Market Protection Unit, shut down two websites selling counterfeit Ray Ban brand sunglasses. Of the two sites, discountraybansunglasses.org and raybanstores.com, the owner and registrant is Mr. Huang Jianhai. 

The Antitrust intervention was necessary to protect the many consumers who purchase on websites, convinced they are choosing original products of the famous brand offered at outlet prices. The interruption was particularly urgent because the glasses on sale, of dubious quality, could cause damage to the eyes.

According to the reports submitted by the consumer association Adoc and by Indicam, the Istituto Centromarca per la lotta alla contraffazione (Brand Centre Institute to fight against counterfeiting), which forwarded the complaint of the trademark’s owner, consumers were misled by the structure of the sites, ‘built’ so that they look like official dealers of the products advertised: not just the names, but the images and photos inserted, with discounts from 50 to 70% off official prices, made the offers seem credible. It consisted essentially of websites that in format and images were clones of the originals. The websites do not provide the information required by law about the rights of purchasers on the subject of cancelling and changing one’s mind and the issue of warranty (which obviously could not be recognised because it involved counterfeit goods); they also lacked the information on technicians or precise addresses to go to in case of complaints.

This decision brings to four the interventions carried out by the Antitrust Authority to protect consumers who shop on the web: shutting down these websites follows what was already done for the cloned websites of Prada and Gucci brands. As far as counterfeit Hogan branded goods are concerned, after initiating proceedings for unfair commercial practice by the Antitrust offices, the owner himself has inhibited access to the website from Italian territory.

Rome, 20^th May 2013