ANTI-COUNTERFEITING DRIVE If it ain’t from the Louis Vuitton store, it must be fake

There is only one way to know whether the Louis Vuitton item you are keeping an eye on is genuine or counterfeit and being able to pick one from the other does not require special expertise or training from the customs division.

Louis Vuitton Asia-Pacific Anti-Counterfeiting head Frederic Thiry said the item is 100 percent fake if it is being peddled in a shop other than the official company shop which, in the case of Saipan, is located at the Duty Free Shoppers Galleria.

While there are other distinct marks that could distinguish the original Louis Vuitton product from the imitation, Mr. Thiry said this information is highly classified and can be disclosed only to the proper government authorities that handle programs against counterfeiting.

He explained that some unscrupulous mind could always find a way to imitate whatever distinct qualities an original item may have to make their counterfeit products look genuine.

He stressed that Louis Vuitton products bargained elsewhere on the island except those that are sold at the official company store at the DFS Galleria are, without a doubt. counterfeit items.

“There is only one simple advise we from Louis Vuitton could give our customers and that is to buy only from our legitimate store. That way, they are assured that they get only the genuine LV products that offer true value for their money,” Mr. Thiry told an interview.

He added Louis Vuitton is putting a special attention on Saipan and Guam, the islands being a prime tour destination for overseas Japanese travelers who are also among the company’s more important markets.

He explained that a big number of Japanese travelers visit Saipan each month who account for the largest existing and potential market for Louis Vuitton products, thus, the increased vigilance against the entry and proliferation of fake counterfeit items here.

“We could say that the problem here is already too much in the sense that Saipan is a tour destination. It attracts visitors from Japan which is a big market for us and we would like to take care of that market as much as we can do,” he stressed.

Mr. Thiry said there is a special need to increase awareness against the proliferation of faked Louis Vuitton products in the Northern Marianas in order to preserve the islands’ image and reputation as a prime tour destination.

He pointed out that an intensified program against counterfeiting would work to the advantage of both Saipan and the Louis Vuitton company because it facilitates better protection of Saipan as a destination that carries only original and genuine products.

Legal Action

Mr. Thiry also stressed that the company is not taking it easy on counterfeiters and retailers who carry faked Louis Vuitton products who will be dealt with appropriate legal actions.

There have been numerous instances when Louis Vuitton had to bring its case to the court to prosecute unscrupulous individuals who violate not only the company’s intellectual property rights but also the consumers’ right to genuine and original products.

However, he admitted that the situation in the Northern Marianas is not as alarming as those in South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines were most of the Saipan-bound counterfeit Louis Vuitton items are produced and imported from.

“We do court actions all the time in the Asia-Pacific Region. Obviously there are countries where the problems we face are much more important in terms of size and extent so we have much more cases there. But we, in the past, took several actions here,” he said.

Mr. Thiry added the problem faced by Louis Vuitton in the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand are bigger in terms of size and extent because manufacturing of counterfeit items also thrive in these Asian countries.

“The fact that the counterfeit products are manufactured there is adding another problem in the sense that we deal with these people too and take criminal actions against both the manufacturers and the retailers,” he said.

Mr. Thiry pointed out that this is not the same issue Louis Vuitton faces in the Northern Marianas since there are no illegal manufacturing activities here, stressing that the anti-counterfeiting drive is focused on the entry of fake items at both the airport and the seaport.

Anti-counterfeiting drive

The company sponsored a special training-seminar yesterday aimed increasing the awareness of officers of the CNMI customs division stationed at the Saipan International Airport and the Saipan International Harbor on the distinct marks of genuine Louis Vuitton products.

The training program is part of the company’s global efforts to combat the proliferation of counterfeit Louis Vuitton products. It is expected to help CNMI customs officers gatekeep the entry of fake items into the Commonwealth.

Mr. Thiry said the company has conducted a similar seminar-training on Guam earlier this week, following a successful campaign that was launched in Europe earlier.

“We are doing this because we think that this is one way where in we can improve our cooperation with the CNMI customs in our battle against counterfeiters. This is quite a big issue for us,” he said, adding that Guam and Saipan are two important markets for Louis Vuitton.

Mr. Thiry disclosed Louis Vuitton spends a lot of money in the protection of the company’s intellectual property rights, as well as all its creations, because so much money are being lost due to the widespread retailing of fake items.

Counterfeiting does not only affect the company’s direct sales but also its image, according to the Louis Vuitton executive who flew in from Hong Kong to the Marianas for the seminar.

“It affects not only the sales but the image of the company that’s why we are so concern and so active on our efforts to protect not only the legitimate business but also the image of the company. Counterfeiting is actually an attack against the creativity and the image of the company,” he emphasized.