Our website makes use of cookies. To find out more please read our privacy policy
Close

Login

Loading...
You are now logged in.

ACG Press Kit

THE ACG

Founded in 1980, the Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG) is an international association respected as one of the world’s leading specialists in the fight against the growing global trade in counterfeit goods.

PHIL LEWIS
Director General

Phil has been engaged in intellectual property enforcement since 2001 when he became the UK government’s Senior Policy Advisor on Intellectual Property Crime and was responsible for developing and leading on the UK’s first National IP Crime Strategy.

In 2008, Phil joined the European Commission to help develop a Commission strategy against counterfeiting and piracy and was responsible for conceiving and developing the EU Observatory on IP Infringements of IP Rights, which has become the pivotal European network of experts engaged in shaping effective IP enforcement policies and strategies.

Since retiring from public service, at the end of 2014, Phil worked as Policy and Strategy Adviser to the UK Anti-Counterfeiting Group. He has also been a senior adviser on range of EU IP Enforcement Twinning projects, producing studies and key assessment reports on countries such as Serbia, Ukraine and Macedonia.

He has been recognized as a major contributor to IP enforcement. In 2014, Phil was awarded the Global Anti-Counterfeiting award for individual achievement and in 2022 he was named the recipient of the IP Champion Award by the Alliance for Intellectual Property.

In 2018, he became the new Director General of the Anti-Counterfeiting Group.

To learn more about the industry click here to visit our facts and figures document.

 

THE ACG DIRECTOR GENERAL COMMENTS: 

COUNTERFEITING IS BIG BUSINESS

"Despite the disruption to international supply chains over the past year, due to the pandemic, the global trade in fakes was found to be worth $464 billion USD (£332 billion), which is equivalent to the GDP of Belgium. The figures also reveal that counterfeiting represents 2.5% of world trade and 6% of imports across Europe."
 

THE PANDEMIC PROVIDED FURTHER STIMULUS

"As more consumers looked to protect themselves during the height of the pandemic, by further shopping online, international counterfeiting criminals moved in. Selling everything from counterfeit day to day, household goods to fake medicines these predators have once again shown how low they will stoop to make profit at anyone’s expense."
 

CONSUMERS ARE NOW AT UNPRECEDENTED RISK

"Consumers have never been at more risk from dangerous counterfeits and associated criminality such as credit card and identity fraud. The message is that people need to very careful when buying online and should only use reputable websites and e-commerce businesses."
 

COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTION IS SPREADING 

"Unfortunately, despite a noticeable drop, China and Hong Kong are still the main sources of counterfeit goods, accounting for 77% of all seizures. However, Turkey is a growing concern, with its share of global seizures tripling from 4% to 12%."
 

IT'S A COMPLEX CHAIN

"What’s clear is that transnational criminals involved in the fake trade are using complex trading routes and abusing many transit points. ACG is calling on all intermediaries to work much more closely with enforcement and industry, to share intelligence and disrupt this international form of criminality that will clearly hinder efforts to rebuild national economies, jobs and security."
 
For further comments, please get in touch with us at info@a-cg.com 

 

 

“Consumers have never been at more risk from dangerous counterfeits and associated criminality such as credit card and identity fraud. The message is that people need to very careful when buying online and should only use reputable websites and e-commerce businesses”.
“Consumers have never been at more risk from dangerous counterfeits and associated criminality such as credit card and identity fraud. The message is that people need to very careful when buying online and should only use reputable websites and e-commerce businesses”.
“Consumers have never been at more risk from dangerous counterfeits and associated criminality such as credit card and identity fraud. The message is that people need to very careful when buying online and should only use reputable websites and e-commerce businesses”.

About ACG

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.

Read more >

Join now!

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.

Read more >