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Russian government intends to make money on counterfeiters

Russian government proposed some amendments to Russian legislation aiming to shift expenditures on liquidation of counterfeited goods on the shoulders of counterfeiters. It was proposed to amend Russian criminal code, Russian administrative code and customs legislation. Three draft laws are to be considered.

The procedure of liquidation follows the seizure of counterfeited goods. All costs, linked to liquidations, bears Russian state. Now legislator intends to avoid it. How? Amendments to administrative code propose to abolish seizure of counterfeited goods. Amendments to criminal code propose to oblige the counterfeiter to reimburse procedural costs linked to liquidation of material evidence of case in question. In other words the counterfeiters would liquidate their illicit goods on their own account.

Market operators would take all risks connected to turnover of counterfeited goods. Proposed law, in part of abolishing of seizure, includes among the others sales of goods and providing of services of improper quality, infringement of trade mark, violation of technical regulation, illegal crossing of customs borders, manufacturing and sales of goods without marking. The procedure, prescribing the order of liquidation, is to be drafted and adopted by government. The procedural costs, resulting from liquidation, are to be calculated on the basis of ecological fees for each type of goods.