NBI drive vs fake goods nets P20 M

Law enforcers confiscated yesterday close to P20-million worth of suspected counterfeit products following a series of raids at 11 outlets and warehouses in Metro Manila.

Elements of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) seized various items including leather and rubber shoes, sandals, travelling bags, shirts, pants and belts sporting the allegedly counterfeited Caterpillar and CAT brands.

The raids by the NBI came in the wake of a move by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to tighten the noose on local counterfeits following a rash of complaints from local and international companies.

The US-based Caterpillar, Inc. has complained that a local manufacturer is allegedly using the company’s internationally famous brand to market goods that approximate the genuine products and are premium priced.

DOJ officials has vowed that the government "will move swiftly and decisively against unfairly competitive practices "which can only harm the entire local business community."

Caterpillar, Inc. lawyer and spokesman Gilbert Reyes of the law firm Poblador, Bautista and Reyes said the company had complained against the local distributor for infringing on the Caterpillar and CAT brands as well as other brands and trademarks owned by the US company.

"We believe that these are unfairly competitive business practices since our suspect is selling unauthorized products with the general appearance of products long before marketed and sold by Caterpillar, Inc. of the USA in North America and many other countries all over the world," Reyes said.

Reyes added that the local distributor has been charged with unfair competition.

The NBI agents said raids have already been done earlier this year which resulted in the confiscation of some P10- million worth of suspected counterfeit Caterpillar products such as shoes, pants, shirts, bags, wallets and other personal accessories.

They said the local manufacturer had restocked various outlets with the suspected counterfeit Caterpillar products almost immediately after the earlier raid actions.

"We, however, kept his operations under surveillance," the NBI said.

Caterpillar, Inc. is based in Peoria, Illinois and also manufactures the renowned Caterpillar line of heavy equipment and generators.