In 2021, there was more product piracy than ever before. Especially alarming in the case of drugs – buyers could also be prosecuted. If a branded handbag is so cheap it almost takes your breath away, it’s probably a fake. And yet thousands of Austrians – consciously or completely unrealistically – throw the alleged bargain in an online shopping cart and have the goods delivered to their home.
However, in many cases the deliveries did not even reach the recipient because the invoice was made without domestic customs. As the so-called product piracy report shows, more than 8,200 shipments containing a total of almost 320,000 counterfeits were intercepted last year. Goods worth no less than 12.3 million euros – if only they were originals.
In fact, however, they were counterfeits – causing damage to the domestic economy: “Product piracy and the violation of the rights of law-abiding manufacturers and dealers are a huge problem,” explains Treasury Secretary Magnus Brunner (ÖVP). “Protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights is essential to support honest entrepreneurs.”
The bottom line is that there was a 150 percent increase in product piracy last year! A rather curious case in the spring of 2021 was responsible for this: a Chinese mail order company literally flooded the market with counterfeit goods, including shoes, bags, textiles and even face masks. Customs responded with focus checks until the product pirates suddenly disappeared from the scene again. Although this type of crime is economically harmful, it in any case poses no danger to life and limb.
Dewormer and raw material for crystal meth
The situation is, of course, different when it comes to the trade in counterfeit medicines. More than 2.6 million (!) pills and Co. were withdrawn from circulation – an incredible 650 percent increase. This record amount can be traced back to a major find of pseudoephedrine tablets, which are known to be needed for the production of the fashionable drug crystal meth – the “Krone” has already reported on the case. In addition, no fewer than 42,000 tablets of the worming agent Ivermectin were seized.
“The conditions under which counterfeit medicines are produced, stored and transported fall far short of current standards. The result: products that are contaminated with harmful substances or are ineffective,” warns Gerhard Marosi, expert on product piracy at the Ministry of Finance.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
