Us against
product piracy

How many training courses on the topic of product piracy are there per year? 

Maria: The largest number of trainings is for our key stakeholders, namely customs and police authorities on a global level. Customs is the first instance that comes into contact with alleged counterfeits during import. What customs can stop and seize at this point does not have to be tracked down and eliminated later in the internal market. During these trainings, the participating officers are taught how to distinguish counterfeit goods from original PUMA products. These “Law Enforcement Trainings” are a fundamental requirement of our work.

Are you also conducting any learning initiatives for consumers? 

Maria: We are also heavily involved in training for end consumers, with a particular focus on training for pupils. Young consumers are active online, including in e-commerce, and we want them to know what is behind what they buy. These presentations are always organised in collaboration with the INTA Unreal Campaign, an awareness-raising initiative about the importance of intellectual property and the dangers of buying counterfeit products. In 2022, more than 65,000 students in more than 45 countries were taught. In the past years, the PUMA team has organised and held lectures at several schools in Germany.

Is the piracy of PUMA products increasing?

Maria: Online retailing, which has increased sharply especially since Covid, has also led to a significant increase in counterfeit goods online. It is easy and cheap for traders to enter the market and, as everyone knows, life online is almost anonymous, which makes it massively more difficult for brands to find out who is hiding behind counterfeit offers.

What strategies does PUMA have in place to combat product piracy?

Maria: We work in close cooperation with the local PUMA subs or distributors. In order to maintain efficiency, we focus on counterfeiting in the locations where our customers would expect to purchase genuine products. This, on the one hand, to protect our main asset, the customer, but also to be able to continue to guarantee our market share and possibly even help PUMA to grow. We also monitor the internet, all known websites, marketplaces and social media channels 24/7 and take immediate action.

I can imagine that you often see very sophisticated fakes, but also some bad imitations?
What has been your most bizarre experience in your job so far?

Maria: Always bizarre are products outside our trademarks are attached in order to profit from our positive image: for example, diet pills with a jumping PUMA cat on the packaging. However, there is a great health risk here!

Are there any measures you would like to see from policymakers to curb brand counterfeiting?

Maria: The legal situation varies from country to country; in some countries the legal basis for intellectual property and trademark cases is very advanced, while in others it is still in its infancy. The same is true for the courts. It would be a great advantage if there were judges and courts specialised in IP law.

Thank you for giving us an insight into your work at PUMA Brand Protection, Maria!