Salvatore Ferragamo has joined other fashion giants in pledging to thwart the sale of knock-off designer clothes and accessories, after more than 10,000 counterfeit versions of its products were seized last year.
Credit: IMG Models
The Italian handbags and shoes specialist yesterday said it would step up its fight against the black market following the discovery of around 90,000 fake Ferragamo products advertised on online auctions in 2014.
The company said its lawyer had helped to ensure that 350 illegal websites were shut down in 2014, with a focus on China. Goods sold undercut genuine products, such as Ferragamo’s Verve Large Woven Tote bag, which sells for $3,600 (£2,500) in New York’s Saks Fifth Avenue department store.
Credit: Saks Fifth Avenue
Last year more than 10,000 counterfeit Ferragamo goods were seized and destroyed, and the Chinese customs authorities confiscated about 1,500 products that were leaving the country.
In total, the sale of goods worth a total $7m was blocked. The retailer has also won close to 10 civil court cases against those involved in illegal activities.
Ferruccio Ferragamo, the chairman, said: “In 2014 we increased the number of e-commerce sites that we monitor. In China, we have also expanded our offline checks, targeting trade fairs and resellers in particular.”
The company added that its crackdown had been helped by domestic and international parties taking offences more seriously.
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Louis Vuitton’s parent group, LVMH, is another business that wants a crack-down, saying the luxury industry “is particularly hard-hit” by the counterfeiting of goods.
It said it has anti-counterfeiting measures for each of its brands, and a team of 60 people working on anti-counterfeiting, as well as investigators and lawyers.
Over the past three years actions have been carried out in China and Korea, among other countries.
The business is also pursuing a proactive policy to inform the general public about the problems connected with buying non-legitimate products.
Credit: The Independent
Mr Ferragamo explained that his company would continue to combat fake goods sales. “We will further intensify our commitment to fighting counterfeiting in 2015.”
He added: “In this way, we will continue to wage this war with great determination, expanding controls both online and offline and ramping up anti-counterfeit measures, including with the customs authorities.”
Read more at The Independent.