Seizures and discoveries last week include one in Canada, which yielded more than C$5 million worth of assorted counterfeit goods after a year-long investigation… In the UAE the Department of Economic Development made large seizures of fake goods including handbags, shoes and cosmetics… In the US, a massive seizure of assorted counterfeit products has taken place worth $15 - $20 million… … In India, major raids conducted by the Food and Drug Administration yielded a large amount of fake cosmetics.

Cases and outcomes last week include a man in the US being ordered to pay over $1 million to a number of luxury-brand manufacturers after selling counterfeit handbags and wallets over the internet… Three men in the US have been charged with selling $2.5 million worth of pirated software over the internet… Also in the US a man has been arrested on suspicion of violating federal copyright laws for leaking tracks from the forthcoming Guns N’ Roses album onto the internet… A man in the UK has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to 19 offences under the Trade Marks Act for running a DVD pirating operation.

Policy developments last week include in India, a proposed amendment to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act that will impose stiffer jail terms and fines on those involved in the sale and manufacture of spurious drugs.

Studies and reports out last week include MarkMonitor’s ‘Summer 2008 Brandjacking Index’, it found that more people are buying potentially harmful pharmaceuticals over the internet.