KUALA LUMPUR – The Petaling Street enclave, popular for its throbbing marketplace of hawker stalls and bargain shops, has been listed in the United States Trade Representative’s latest report on markets notorious for having counterfeits and pirated wares.
The famous tourism hub in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown is the only venue in Malaysia to be featured in the report for the year 2022.
“Although market activity has not returned to pre-pandemic levels because foreign tourism remains depressed, the majority of goods that are currently available appear to be counterfeit.
“Even when right holders try to initiate enforcement activities, they report difficulties due to local favouritism and the involvement of organised crime at this market”, stated the report titled 2022 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy.
It further stated that the local government remains unheeded in this matter.
As an attraction for shoppers and tourists and a favourite spot for local delicacies, Petaling Street has long been included among the iconic places to visit in Kuala Lumpur.
It is well-known for selling imitation items such as watches, shoes, handbags, wallets, sunglasses, and other consumer goods.
Also referred to as the Notorious Markets List, the report identifies 33 physical markets and 39 online markets that it says “reportedly engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy”.
The online piracy markets it mentions include platforms Shopee and Taobao.
Bangkok, Jakarta also on the list
Other Southeast Asian countries with venues also listed in the report are, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Among them, the MBK Centre of Bangkok, the report noted, is back to the vendors’ pre-pandemic sales level for counterfeit items.
“With the return of tourists, Thailand has taken action to address the sale of counterfeit products, including high-profile public education campaigns against intellectual property (IP)-infringing goods, inspections by police and IP office representatives on a regular basis, and continued operation of the IP Enforcement Center, where consumers can take suspected counterfeit goods for inspection,” it said.
It added that counterfeit goods return to the market as soon as the local police leave after delivering verbal warnings to sellers, showing loose enforcement measures.
Indonesia’s Mangga Dua Market in Jakarta is also listed. The report said it is noted for selling counterfeit goods such as wallets, children’s items and fashion accessories.
“The ineffective raid by the local IP task force there lifts the illegal sales at the black market which attracts the foreign tourists as well as the locals,” it said.
Other countries listed include Brazil where among the key items peddled in the black markets’ are “copy-ori” versions of football clubs’ jerseys, the United Arab Emirates where the city of Dubai has various sites offering IP-infringing goods, and Canada where the Pacific Mall in Toronto has been reported to sell “authentic” products of luxury brands at cheap prices. – The Vibes, February 2, 2022
