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Volume 1 · Issue 3 |  26th July - 02nd August, 2026  |  Read time: 6 minutes

Quick Summary: This week’s digest examines critical developments spanning major global headlines alongside high-impact regulatory and operational shifts that received limited mainstream media coverage. Key coverage includes:

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution designating July as National Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Education & Awareness Month. Sponsored by Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and Senator Chris Coons, co-chairs of the Congressional Trademark Caucus, the resolution reaffirms trademarks' role in protecting consumers from products that may be untested, mislabeled, or tied to criminal enterprises. While symbolic, it signals sustained bipartisan attention to counterfeiting as both an economic and national security issue. For brand owners, congressional resolutions like this often precede hearings or legislative proposals, making it a useful early indicator to track.

A joint report by IP House and the ISB Institute of Data Science, titled "Fake Products, Real Consequences," reveals severe perception gaps regarding the criminality of counterfeiting. While 62% of respondents acknowledge the health risks of fakes, only 44% initially recognised the trade as a crime. Corroborating INTERPOL and Europol data, the research links counterfeit distribution in India to transnational organised crime networks. The findings advocate for specialised IP task forces and enhanced consumer education to combat several public safety threats.

CBP's Trade Enforcement Team at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport seized nearly 20,000 counterfeit FIFA World Cup 2026 items valued at just under $9 million, including jerseys for the US, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and six other nations, plus shot glasses, whiskey decanters and even branded pet jerseys. Most shipments originated in China, bound for destinations inside and outside the US. CBP said the action was part of pattern-based enforcement it runs around major sporting events, similar to Super Bowl operations. With over 90 percent of counterfeit seizures now occurring in small e-commerce parcels, the case is a reminder that mega-events create predictable, high-volume counterfeit spikes worth pre-positioning against.

Johannesburg Counterfeit Market Raided by National Counterfeit Goods Unit

South African Police Service units, coordinated by the national counterfeit goods unit, raided a well-known counterfeit market in inner-city Johannesburg, seizing a range of suspected fake goods and arresting several individuals. A key politician publicly welcomed the operation, framing it as part of a broader campaign against illegal trading undermining legitimate businesses and public safety. The raid signals renewed political appetite in South Africa to treat counterfeit markets as a public-order and immigration issue, which could reshape enforcement priorities regionally.

E.U. Border Sweep Nets 1.7 Million Counterfeit Goods

European border and customs authorities seized 1.7 million counterfeit and undeclared items worth an estimated €17.4 million during Joint Action Day Pirates 4, a Frontex led operation spanning 12 EU member states plus Serbia, Ukraine and the UK. Conducted under the EMPACT framework with Europol, INTERPOL and EUIPO support, the sweep targeted land borders, ports, airports and logistics hubs. Clothing accounted for the largest single haul, nearly €9 million, intercepted at the Bulgaria-Turkey-Greece crossing.

China: China Sets IP Priorities for 2026–2030 Five-Year Plan

China's National Intellectual Property Administration used a State Council briefing to outline IP priorities for the 15th Five-Year Plan, pledging stronger cross-regional and cross-departmental enforcement cooperation, new protection rules for AI and big-data-related IP, and deeper participation in international IP rule-making, particularly around artificial intelligence governance. While the briefing leaned toward patent and innovation policy rather than counterfeiting enforcement specifically, it signals the enforcement architecture China intends to build out over the next five years, which will eventually shape brand protection cooperation on the ground.

S.Korea: Korea Launches Public Reporting Portal and AI System to Fight Fakes

South Korea's Ministry of Intellectual Property and the Korea IP Office (KIPO) launched two major global brand-protection initiatives: the Fake K-Brand Reporting Centre and an advanced automated trademark monitoring service. This initiative, featuring a public "Find It, Shoot It, Post It" campaign, launched with an objective to combat counterfeit goods, aims to protect Korean brands from a near-doubling of illicit copycat activity, which rose to 9,520 cases in 2024.

Thailand: Bangkok Raid Busts Chinese National Run Counterfeit Hub

Thai police, acting on a complaint from LIQUI MOLY, a German Company and working with the Department of Intellectual Property, raided a hidden warehouse in Bangkok run by Chinese nationals and seized 32,477 counterfeit products, including more than 22,000 fake vehicle air fresheners alongside counterfeit engine oil and skincare items. The warehouse, tucked in a narrow alley behind a permanently shut front entrance, was found fully equipped for packing and shipping goods imported from China to both domestic and export buyers. The case illustrates Thailand's growing role as a repackaging and distribution point for Chinese-origin fakes, a pattern automotive and FMCG brands operating across Southeast Asia should watch closely.

The Karnataka High Court quashed a counterfeit-clothing prosecution after ruling that police searched the accused's premises without complying with Section 115(4) of the Trade Marks Act, which requires searches to be led by an officer of Deputy Superintendent rank or above, following a prior opinion from the Registrar of Trade Marks. The court held that investigators cannot register counterfeit cases under the Copyright Act to sidestep these safeguards, since selling branded fakes is a trademark offence, not a copyright one. For brand owners relying on Indian police raids, the ruling is a clear operational warning: procedural shortcuts, however well-intentioned, can unravel an entire enforcement action at trial.

CBP: Over 90% of Counterfeit Seizures Now Occur in Small E-Commerce Parcels

In the same release announcing its $9 million FIFA World Cup counterfeit seizure, Custom and Border Protection flagged that over 90 percent of all U.S. counterfeit interceptions now occur in international mail and express parcel shipments, the direct result of e-commerce-driven small-package imports. CBP said these low-value shipments carry the same health, safety and economic risks as large containerized loads but move through channels with far less scrutiny. For brand protection teams, the statistic reinforces that marketplace and parcel-level monitoring, not just port enforcement, is where the volume problem actually lives.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) raided six warehouses in Manila's Binondo and Divisoria districts after four global personal care brands, reported consumers developing rashes and itchiness from counterfeit lotion, body wash, shampoo and soap sold in the area. Four of the six sites tested positive for counterfeit goods after test-buy operations confirmed the fakes, and search warrants were obtained from the Makati Regional Trial Court. Arrests were made, with trademark infringement charges pending. The NBI said it is now surveilling additional suspected warehouses using the same modus operandi.

IPOPHL and the Department of Agriculture signed a renewed memorandum of understanding to expand Geographical Indication protection for Philippine farm products, building on the precedent set by Guimaras Mangoes, the country's first GI-registered product. This will support a GI roadmap, strengthen producer certification and traceability systems, and help local goods command premium pricing in export markets. The move reflects a broader Philippine strategy of using IP tools proactively to build brand value for national products, not just defensively against counterfeiters, a distinction worth noting for the country's evolving enforcement posture.

The Nigeria Customs Service handed over fake NAFDAC-labelled medicines, expired pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs worth a combined ₦53.39 billion (Around USD 39.25 million) to NAFDAC and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, following seizures at Lagos's Apapa Port. Authorities said the products carried forged registration numbers and documentation. For pharmaceutical brands with West African distribution, the scale and sophistication of the forged documentation, not just the seizure size, is the real signal: counterfeiters are now targeting the regulatory paper trail, not only the packaging.

Interstate Counterfeit Mounjaro Injection Syndicate Busted in Haryana, India

Acting on robust intelligence, the Haryana FDA raided unlicensed premises in Gurugram, uncovering an organised racket distributing counterfeit Mounjaro injections. Authorities seized ₹70 lakh ( USD 73K) worth of the fake diabetes and weight-loss medication and arrested two primary suspects. The operation highlights the rapid pivot of transnational counterfeiting syndicates toward high-demand, high-cost injectable biologics.

The FDA announced a Class II recall of eight Rohto Cooling Eye Drop products after the manufacturer could not assure sterility, with affected lots carrying expiration dates stretching to February 2029, meaning a large volume of potentially compromised product remains in stores and homes. The FDA advised consumers to check UPC and lot numbers against its recall list and to seek medical attention if they experience eye pain, irritation or vision changes after use.

Counterfeit Telma-AM Traced to Unlicensed Delhi, India based Wholesaler

An extensive investigation into counterfeit Telma-AM tablets culminated in the dismantling of an interstate supply network originating from an unlicensed Delhi wholesaler. The operation, which involved coordinated arrests across Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh in India, also recovered counterfeit Tofajak alongside hundreds of other allopathic variants. By tracing the financial and logistical footprints back to the source distributor, authorities successfully severed a major artery of spurious hypertension medication. The raid exemplifies the necessity of deep supply chain investigations beyond street-level seizures to target wholesale distribution nodes.

The Original "Pirates" of Intellectual Property (1703)

While "piracy" originally referred exclusively to high seas robbery, its application to intellectual property began in the early 18th century. English author Daniel Defoe was among the first to famously complain of literary "pirates" in 1703 after unauthorized printers continually reproduced his works without compensation, cementing a term that digital brand protection teams still combat centuries later.

Stay informed. Stay protected.