AGCM

PRESS RELEASE

ANTI-COUNTERFEIT: ANTITRUST DECIDES TO CLOSE 50 SITES THAT SOLD FAKE PRODUCTS OF LEADING BRANDS

The shutdown of the sites will start on 16 May 2014 if the owners of the sites themselves do not autonomously suspend their activity.

Three days to autonomously suspend activity: this is the time granted by the Competition to three operators of online sites that sell counterfeit goods of leading brands, products with materials being non-compliant with standards and potentially harmful to health. After the deadline, the Authority will proceed to shutting down of the sites with the help of the Competition group of Markets Special Unit of the Guardia di Finanza.

The new Competition intervention involves three foreign entities, Mr Huang Jia (23 domain names), Mr Newwfsf Niw, (13 domain names) and Mr Qinghxia Chen (14 domain names) that offered to Italian consumers the opportunity to buy online of clothing, shoes and accessories from major brands such as Gucci, Hogan, Moncler, Burberry, Woolrich, Belstaff, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Nike, Carrera and Alviero Martini. In reality the products, according to the received reports, were reportedly counterfeited and may even be harmful to health. Sites reportedly lacked any information about the identity and the geographical address of the sellers, as well as any indication on the rights provided for the protection of the consumer in the post-sale stage. Foreclosing, from being counterfeited products, also the possibility for buyers to take advantage of the legal guarantee of conformity.

Rome, 12 May 2014