20 September 2022, High Wycombe: ACG announces the release today of its first set of Guidelines for those in its community involved in operational activities in conjunction with law enforcement agencies in the anti-counterfeiting space.
The Guidelines codify conduct and establish clear principles of operation particularly in the planning and execution of raids involving the identification and seizure of counterfeit goods. The Guidelines cover many areas ranging from co-operation in pre-operational intelligence gathering, the detailed examination and identification of counterfeit goods, the provision of witness statements regarding counterfeit goods, as well as the clarification of onsite operational practicalities, and the lines of reporting and authority.
Phil Lewis, ACG Director General, comments: "Counterfeiting has reached an epidemic level of criminality. Fighting back against this huge surge requires a multistakeholder approach involving legitimate brand owners, the police, trading standards organisations, and ACG itself.
It is a very complex environment. Operations need to be fast, accurate, efficient, compliant, legally watertight in providing evidence, and safe. The ACG Guidelines may seem arcane but represent a real, practical improvement to these multistakeholder operations. For example, they detail the circumstances where our member experts may work onsite and alongside law enforcement agencies to identify potentially counterfeit goods.”
Matthew Knowles, ACG Intelligence and Strategic Initiatives Manager and lead author for the ACG Guidelines, comments: “I have had the pleasure of working alongside UK enforcement agencies over many years and I know they endeavour to work to the highest standards of professionalism. Developed in conjunction with our partner agencies, the Guidelines will serve as an ongoing effort to provide greater efficiencies in the fight backagainst counterfeiting and tangible benefits to ACG members.
It establishes clear principles in our multistakeholder work. In ACG, we are committed to the improvement of professional standards across the community, and I am delighted to see us publish this first release which will take its place alongside our other reports and guides. We are committed to supporting our community and we very much look forward to feedback."
The ACG Guidelines will be accessible to ACG Members in the protected area of the ACG website.
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ACG represents more than 3,000 brands affected by this influx of fakes into the UK and delivers an international network of information, advice and contacts on all aspects of IP protection. Working with Government and law enforcement agencies since 1980, ACG is focused on providing an effective and sustained response to counterfeiting.
Membership with the ACG is the best way to work with government and enforcement bodies to protect your brand. Our Roadshows and training days help you reach out to police, trading standards and border force officers and tell them about your genuine products.