On 18 February the South African Revenue Service (SARS) announced the publication of the “CUSTOMS EXTERNAL POLICY COUNTERFEIT GOODS”, the “SUMMARY OF MAIN POINTS” is:
(a) Intellectual property rights are protected by Customs against the importation and exportation of counterfeit goods provided the Intellectual Property Right (IPR) holder has registered with Customs for
such protection.
(b) Customs Officers detain and seize counterfeit goods encountered in the performance of their duties
under the Customs and Excise Act.
(c) The IPR holder confirms whether the detained goods are counterfeit or not and whether they will take any legal action.
(d) The IPR holder must ensure confirmed counterfeit goods are stored at a counterfeit goods depot and destroyed.
Story by: Riaan de Lange
