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LONDON August 8th, 2003 – Canon Europe, leading provider of imaging technology solutions, has joined forces with the European Union and the Anti-Counterfeit Group, one of the leading anti-counterfeiting organisations in the world, to campaign against black-market trade and raise consumer awareness about the dangers and the ‘real’ costs of counterfeit products.
The trade in counterfeit goods in the European Union has seen a 900% increase in the amount of products coming into the European Union in the last five years . As counterfeiting techniques have become more sophisticated, the type of consumer goods being counterfeited has also diversified from fake jeans, perfume and CDs to include pharmaceutical products, industrial machinery and electronic consumer goods. Virtually anything with a brand name is a target.
John Anderson, Director General of the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, said, "Our main objective is to raise awareness of the economic and social impact that black-market trade has throughout Europe. We need to raise awareness about the costs to consumers and the costs to businesses and also about the responsibility of governments to work with businesses, such as Canon, to stamp this problem out at its source and put the organised criminals who are behind this trade behind bars."
A recent declaration on piracy and counterfeiting by the European Parliament has also helped to bring the issue of counterfeiting to the fore. Arlene McCarthy, Member of the European Parliament, said, "Counterfeiting and Piracy undermines intellectual property for businesses and poses real risks for consumer health and safety. The support for our recent declaration on piracy and counterfeiting in the European Union has been huge and we will continue to combine our efforts with businesses and governments across borders to ensure existing and forthcoming laws are strengthened, enforced and policed in the current and extended European Union in the battle to defeat counterfeiting."
Canon Europe has decided to speak out on this issue to highlight to consumers the risks of buying counterfeit goods or cheap cameras which appear to be genuine Canon products following interceptions by customs and police of more than 20,000 cameras throughout Europe.
James Leipnik, Chief of Communication and Corporate Relations, Canon Europe, said, "Canon is concerned about protecting the rights of the consumer who is the number one victim. Fake goods may sometimes seem like a bargain but there are always hidden dangers for consumers. The person who sells you a fake won't be around to help if it doesn't work properly; fakes don't come with guarantees. Only the genuine article can offer a good deal."
Canon Europe urges consumers to buy Canon cameras and equipment only from reputable dealers and retail outlets. For a full list of approved Canon stockists and distributors in the UK go to: http://www.canon.co.uk/Where_to_buy/index.asp


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