The State Customs Service of Ukraine (SCSU) has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Alliance Against Counterfeit Spirits to improve the effectiveness of assisting right holders in protecting their intellectual property rights and establishing business relations with industry associations, groups and unions.
“The protection of intellectual property rights is primarily aimed at supporting legal business and a fair competitive environment in the market, as well as at eradicating counterfeiting as a phenomenon. The Customs Service is taking measures to ensure that foreign manufacturers selling their products on the Ukrainian market have the opportunity to carry out their activities as predictably as possible. Information exchange with the alliance and strengthening of border control enable customs to effectively counteract counterfeiting,” said acting head of the State Customs Service Serhiy Zvyagintsev, as quoted in the agency’s statement.
The State Customs Service is convinced that the signing of the memorandum will help bring the fight against counterfeiting to a new level. The joint initiatives envisage the introduction of modern methods of checking alcohol when it is transported across the customs border of Ukraine, and training customs officials in new and up-to-date methods of identifying signs of counterfeiting.
“Thousands of people around the world are becoming victims of counterfeit alcoholic beverages. Producers of counterfeit goods have become very flexible, they are constantly adapting to the circumstances. Therefore, cooperation with the customs service is a key opportunity for us to gain an advantage in this confrontation with counterfeiters. We are pleased to expand our cooperation with Ukraine, which, despite the difficult conditions, continues to counteract the movement of counterfeit goods. This is an important step towards a transparent market and consumer safety,” said AACS Chairman Matthew Prot.
AACS unites 2/3 of all the world’s leading spirits producers, including Diageo (Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff), Pernod Ricard (Chivas Regal, Absolut), Brown-Forman (Jack Daniel’s, Finlandia), etc. The Alliance is active in more than 20 developed economies, cooperating with governments, customs administrations and law enforcement agencies to combat the illegal production and trafficking of spirits and implement high standards of control at the customs border.
