Bologna: Thousands of counterfeit fan articles seized at the Giro d'Italia
In the city of Bologna, northern Italy, officers of the Italian police stopped two fraudsters offering counterfeit fan merchandise at the famous Giro d'Italia cycling race. Shortly before the race passed the historic center of Bologna, where the counterfeiters had placed themselves, a patrol of civilian police officers noticed the suspected fraud. As a result, the officials eventually seized more than 7,000 fake products.
The confiscated items, for example, included more than 2,000 sets for children, about 1,000 hats, more than 200 water bottles, and numerous further articles. For their illegal business, the dealers had marked a sales van with stickers and lettering so that it looked similar to the official vehicles of the bike race. However, they positioned their vehicle on a road section that was restricted for sales activities.
When confronted by the civilian police, the counterfeiting duo initially tried to pass themselves off as authorized dealers, before finally admitting their illegal activities. Now, they have to pay a fine of approx. 1,000 euros (about $1,100).
Counterfeit sporting goods and unlicensed fan merchandise can have consequences for professional sports, especially in terms of lost sales. Just recently, for example, the football (soccer) club Eintracht Frankfurt provided insights into its brand protection measures.
Source
Emilia Romagna News 24
Info
Article in cooperation with the Anti-Piracy Analyst, issue July 2022
